The bat, the cat and I
by Jaguarin
Summary: Circe, the sourceness is in New Gotham. It brings to clocktower an unexpected visittor. Complete!
1. Welcome

THE CAT, THE BAT, AND I  
  
Thanks so much to Nightstalker for her edting help.  
  
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I travel, I usually travel around world, helping people, and it's a marvelous experience. I have an endless list of persons awiting me round the world: I had face almost everything: terrorist, high tech thieves, street crimes, sportsmen hunting prohibited species; I help too when there are an accident or a disasters.  
  
The most beautiful moments is when I have the opportunity to give a gentle hand and confort a frightened infant. I love kids, they are the hope of the world.  
  
People needs a better place where to live. And in this fight to help them sometimes you and all your powers are not enough to stop the madness that exist on the world. Sometimes you need help, Its nice work with your friends and sometimes it give you incrdible experiences to remember all your life. Let me tell you what happened the day that I need call a friend for help. I never expected find behind her an amazing world of survive and love. This is one of the most beautiful experiences I ever had.  
  
This is the story...  
  
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It wasn't an average day in New Gotham. Dinah had gone to the school, but Barbara had excused herself waiting for an unexpected visitor. She got a phone call early. It was not the phone call that worried her, it was the fact that the person that had made the call needed to see her in person. That was not normal behavior for her friend.  
  
Most of the time they talked about business. Barbara was very picky about letting people know her; but she did make exceptions, her visitor was one of the few people that knew her face to face or kind of, through the computer screen.  
  
She had brushed her hair into a ponytail, it made her look younger. At the moment, Helena was surely sleeping like a log at her apartment after a long, heavy night-- they had stopped three robberies and one kidnapping. It worried her; it was too much work for Dinah, she was thinking seriously about an easier work schedule for her. She picked up her coffee mug and looked her watch. A signal appeared as she raised her eyes to the monitors.  
  
"She is here, punctual as always," she said to Alfred who was on the lower floor cleaning some equipment. She immediately deactivated her security system.  
  
"Okay." Alfred walked toward the balcony door.  
  
"Okay?" Barbara raised her brown.  
  
"I am normalizing my vocabulary."  
  
"Helena?"  
  
Alfred just smiled.  
  
------------------------  
  
I loved to fly, it was an incredible sensation. The feeling of freedom was something that filled my soul. I saw the big building that was the Clock Tower and went to it. It wasn't my first visit to New Gotham; but it had been a long time since the last time I had been there. I found my target: The Clocktower. I had known Barbara since she was Batgirl because of her association with Batman. And after the shooting, we hadn't met again, this was to be the first time that we would see each other in all those years. We had been in contact but usually just for work through computers and special communication systems. Oracle was the best hacker in the world.  
  
I landed softly over the balcony and found Alfred waiting for my there.  
  
--------------------  
  
He smiled looking the graceful woman. "Welcome princess. Miss Barbara is waiting for you."  
  
"Alfred?"  
  
"The same."  
  
"Nice to see you again, Alfred." She smiled putting her hand over his shoulder.  
  
"It's a pleasure for me too. You look as young as always."  
  
"That was really nice. You are really a gentlemen."  
  
"I am British. This way please." He opened the door  
  
She laughed and followed him.  
  
-------------------  
  
"The wizard Oracle, working as always."  
  
Barbara raised her head when she heard her name. "And you still don't like doors princess." She was happy to see her friend.  
  
"Hello, Oracle." The tall brunette smiled looking at her; she had a beautiful face.  
  
"I was waiting for you."  
  
"This place is not the disaster I imagined." The woman walked inside the lab looking around. The Clock Tower was really amazing. She was wearing white pants and a red blouse. Her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders.  
  
"How's that?" Oracle asked.  
  
"I imagined you in the middle of keyboards, and thousands of computers. But this place is marvelous." She walked inside the lab and hugged her strongly.  
  
Barbara hugged her back. "Long time."  
  
The woman moved back and took the red head's hands between hers, kneeling in front of her. "Yes, I haven't seen you since before the shooting."  
  
"Yes... it was almost eight years ago."  
  
"I'm glad you found the courage to continue the fight, Barbara, you're a true hero."  
  
"I'm not, I just..." Barbara blushed.  
  
"You are." The woman interrupted with a firm voice. "You are an example for all of us. You kept fighting against all odds.... And you won."  
  
"I'd like to feel happy to see you," Barbara tried to change the subject, talking about herself wasn't her favorite subject, "but the truth is that it worries me. I know that you are not here for a social visit."  
  
"I always ask for your help."  
  
"Yes, but you ask, you never come, and if you come here, it must be a bad thing."  
  
"I forgot, an Oracle knows everything, right?." The princess smiled, moving back.  
  
"Yes." Barbara smiled too.  
  
"You are right. Do you remember Circe?" she sat next to her.  
  
"Yes... she is a powerful wizard."  
  
"Circe's powers derive from black magic and the manipulation of magical energy, for all her powers, Circe is still basically mortal. She has altered her appearance to keep me off guard."  
  
"She hates you because you were gifted by all the Gods and Goddess while she was only favored by Hecate." The redhead paused. "She transformed you into clay during the War of the Gods. Princess... Is she back?"  
  
"I'm sure of it, Oracle."  
  
"I don't like this..."  
  
"Me either. I have some clues, she is using a scientist here in New Gotham to mix her Bestiamorph potion in some food elements. I need do research for the companies that work here with food."  
  
"I can do that... Why New Gotham?"  
  
"She thinks I don't work here, and it would give her more time. But I'm not going to move from this city until know what is she is planning."  
  
The sound of the elevator door opening called their attention.  
  
"Barbara? What are you doing here?" Helena walked inside. Her mentor usually was at school in the mornings. She noticed the strange woman seated next to her mentor; that was weird. No one had access inside the Clock Tower.  
  
"Hi Helena, come here." Barbara gestured to her to come near with her hand.  
  
Helena walked with suspicion into the lab; she didn't like strange people there. The brunette woman stood up, cutting her thoughts. She was maybe 25 or 26 years old and had a really beautiful face. Helena noticed she was tall, really tall.  
  
"Princess," Barbara said proudly "This is Helena, Helena Kyle."  
  
"Princess?" Helena frowned.  
  
"Hi, nice to meet you," Diana said smiling and extending her hand. Helena gave her hand, not yet convinced to greet the visitor.  
  
"She is my protégé." Barbara explained.  
  
"You have a protégé?"  
  
"Actually, two. Dinah is not here, she's at school. Helena is half meta and Dinah is meta, with telekinetic powers."  
  
"You are incredible, you have been keeping busy." The amazon was surprised; Barbara was not just a cybernetic genius she still had the spirit and the strengthh to train people. It was admirable.  
  
"You have no idea." Barbara laughed lightly.  
  
Helena, who had keeping watching the woman in silence, crossed her arms and asked a question, fixing her eyes on Diana. "Nice chat, but who are you?"  
  
"She is Diana, princess of Themyscira." Barbara explained.  
  
"Themys... what?"  
  
"Well, Temyscira is an island where only women live. It's in the Bermuda triangle."  
  
"Is she an amazon?" The brunette remembered some stories that Barbara had told her about other super heroes in the world. It was like listening to fairy tales. She had read or watched tv reports about them, and knew Barbara sometimes helped some of them with her computer skills but, she had never met one.  
  
"Yes, I am," Diana said.  
  
"And what is she doing here?" Helena asked Barbara. The fact that she was an unknown person, was still bothering her, amazon or not.  
  
"Helena, that wasn't polite!" the redhead scolded her.  
  
"Sorry but it's odd to see a stranger here."  
  
"It's okay, it's okay," Diana said, she touched Barbara's shoulder and looked Helena. "We met years ago, and now I came here to ask for Oracle's help."  
  
Helena wasn't convinced and raised her brow. "And the... people in your kingdom can't help you?  
  
"Helena." Barbara sighed "You have no idea who she is, do you?"  
  
"A princess, right?" Helena answered sarcastically. "I just imagined that if she was a princess, she had a kingdom and an army to protect her." She didn't like seeing strange people in the place that she thought of as her territory. She could say she and Barbara had been friends, but she had never seen her before; whatever, after the experience with Darkstrike she didn't trust so much in Barbara's instincts about her friends.  
  
The red head was going to say something but Diana touched her shoulder. She didn't want to start an argument there. "It's okay, Barbara, don't worry, she is just worried for your work place."  
  
"She's right." Helena nodded.  
  
Barbara wasn't happy with her protégé's attitude. She glared at her. "The princess is my friend, that's enough for me and, therefore, for you, okay?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Okay?" the red head pointed with firm voice.  
  
"Okay..." Helena sighed in disgust.  
  
"We'll talk later. Now I need to work with her. Go train." Barbara was ashamed by her attitude; politeness had never been one of the her strong points.  
  
"At nine am? I came for breakfast," the brunette protested.  
  
"Well, go get breakfast."  
  
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"  
  
"No, I'm not trying to get rid of you... I just need to work with her. Go to breakfast." Barbara turned toward the Delphi without hiding her annoyance "Come on princess, we need to do a search."  
  
Helena glared at them. She turned and walked in bad mood toward the kitchen.  
  
"Sorry princess, sometimes she is so difficult," Barbara said, stopping in front of her monitor.  
  
"I understand, don't worry. I think she is worried about you and the security of this place. As I said, this place is amazing."  
  
"She needs to learn to control her temper, she's always the same." The redhead began to type at her keyboard "She is not a child anymore. She has her mother's attitude and is as stubborn as him."  
  
"Him?"  
  
"I'll explain to you later."  
  
"You just need to explain to her who I am," Diana said in calm voice.  
  
"I wanted to, but she is always in a defensive position. Before she knew who you were, she was attacking you. I don't like that," Barbara explained.  
  
"I don't want to cause trouble for you." Diana looked upstairs.  
  
"You aren't." She looked at Diana "It's not you, it's her. She needs to learn to control herself. For her own good. Now, let's go to work."  
  
"Ok." 


	2. Happy home

  
  
After breakfast Helena saw Barbara and the "princess" still working at the Delphi. She changed her clothes and went to the training room. Darkstrike had been the enemy at home and she didn't want that it to happen again. It would be dangerous for all. She remembered Harley Queen too; she had created chaos in the city when she had access to the Delphi. She kicked the punching bag harder and put her hands on her waist. She felt like a caged lion and began to pace, growling in low voice.  
  
After finishing her work out, she went to the kitchen to drink some water. She noticed the Princess had gone. Barbara was alone, working at the Delphi. She put her towel around her neck and went downstairs.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked, nonchalantly, and standing up behind her mentor.  
  
"Doing some research on laboratories, we will have trouble," her mentor answered, typing at her keyboard.  
  
"Trouble?"  
  
"Yes, we think that..."  
  
"We?"  
  
Barbara turned her head and glared at her. "We. Diana and I."  
  
"Now it's Diana? Not the 'princess'?" Helena's voice couldn't hide her sarcastic tone.  
  
"I like to be respectful with her."  
  
"She is your 'friend', so why do you call her princess?."  
  
"Because she is a princess and my friend, like you." Barbara sighed. "Stop being a child."  
  
"I'm not a child." The brunette frowned.  
  
The red head explained with a calm voice. "I don't like that you annoy my friends every time they come to visit me."  
  
"Your friends are never inside the Clock Tower."  
  
"Darkstrike, Wade had been inside the Clocktower; and you always made a face."  
  
"I didn't 'make a face', and Darkstrike had two personalities and caused trouble."  
  
Barbara took a deep breath. "I'm just asking you to be more polite. Okay? You can trust her. She is Diana, princess of amazons, Wonder Woman."  
  
"She is Wonder Woman? She doesn't look like it."  
  
"She is, and I must ask you to be respectful with her, first of all because she is my friend, second, because she is a princess, alright?"  
  
"Barbara, you never go out, you don't have many friends. In all these years, I have never seen her."  
  
The red head raised her brow. "Who and when I talk with my friends is my business, not yours."  
  
The balcony door opened and the amazon appeared with a bag over her shoulder. "Hi, I'm back."  
  
"She never uses doors like normal people to enter?" The brunette raised her brow.  
  
"Like you..." Barbara grinned.  
  
Helena rolled her eyes and moved. "Whatever, I need go, bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Diana walked toward the Delphi, looking with curiosity as Helena walked inside the elevator. "Is she still angry?" she asked.  
  
"She always is... Don't worry about her Princess."  
  
"May I ask you a favor, Barbara?"  
  
"Sure." The red head took off her eyeglasses.  
  
"Call me Diana... You always call me princess."  
  
"Oh... sure... well, most of the time we are just online and..."  
  
"It's okay, it's just too formal. We've know each other many years, but more as partners than friends, and now, if we are going to work on this, it's much better to each other our names, right?" Diana smiled; she had a special smile, a smile that exuded peace and made anyone feel comfortable. Like her voice, her voice always was soft but firm.  
  
"Right." Barbara smiled back. "You are right, we spend so much time working that usually we forget we are people too."  
  
"Exactly. I brought you the files." She took some folders out of her bag.  
  
"Well, let's get to work."  
  
**_()In comic books Oracle always calls Diana "princess".  
_**

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Helena arrived early at the Clock Tower. She had promised the kid that she's train with her. She looked around and noticed that the Delphi was alone. Barbara and the "princess" didn't seem to be near.  
  
"Hey Helena!" Dinah greeted her from the second floor and ran toward her almost bumping into the stairs. Helena stood there looking at her.  
  
"Hey, calm down!" the brunette said looking at the excitement in her friend.  
  
"It's great!"  
  
"Great?"  
  
"Yes! Great and exciting! Don't you think so?" the blonde said unable to avoid her emotion.  
  
"Exciting?" The brunette raised her brow.  
  
"She is here! I never imagined I would meet her!"  
  
"Know who?"  
  
"Wonder Woman!"  
  
"Ahhh..." Helena rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes! She is cool and fun! Did you see her?"  
  
"Yes, this morning." The brunette looked at her nails. "Well, I came here to train as I promised... I see you are ready." Helena noticed Dinah's training outfit.  
  
"Oh! I forgot." Dinah felt surprised. "And I asked her if she could train with me and she told me she could show me some moves. She is waiting for me in the training room." She took Helena's hand. "Come on! This will be great."  
  
"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Helena stopped her. "You what?"  
  
"Oh sorry, Helena," the blonde excused herself. "I forgot you were coming, but come on, we can train with her, she has a lot of experience and... Are you angry?"  
  
"No, no, of course not..." The brunette tried to hide her annoyance "I just came here for you, I, I have things to do... so, you go and train with her and I can go to finish my things."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, yes... I'm sure... Don't worry, go..."  
  
"You are so cool, Helena! Thanks!" Dinah held her neck and gave her a kiss on her cheek.  
  
"Just remember Barbara that I work today from 8 pm to 3 am. I'll back tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, sure!" Dinah ran upstairs. "See you later."  
  
"Yes, yes..." Helena put her hands inside her pockets and looked around biting her lip. That was really disgusting. Dinah always waited for her to train and now... Damn She growled in a low voice and walked to the elevator. She didn't have anything to do that afternoon, but she preferred to return to her place than be there.

-------------------------

_Helena wasn't easy, I tried to be friendly with her but she had a wall in front of her. It seemed as if she didn't like my presence there. I think she thought I was invading her space. Barbara felt uncomfortable with her attitude and ashamed. I was wondering how she could manage and live with a stubborn girl like that. Barbara is the opposite, prudent, polite, kind, gentle.  
  
I tried to be discreet and avoid questions about her. I was respectful of their relationship, they had been together... and I needed all my patience to handle the brunette._

----------  
  
Helena was intrigued. Barbara always called her, but last night the comm had been silent. She went to Clock Tower in the morning; she found Barbara and the "princess" working again at the Delphi. That was suspicious. It was the second day that Barbara was not at school, a record. "All right, what is happening?" she asked crossing her arms.  
  
Both women turned to look her. Barbara took off her glasses. "Nothing is happening... why?"  
  
"Well, first, you are not at school; second: your friend is still here; third: you are still working yet at the Delphi; and fourth: you didn't call me yesterday."  
  
"You worked all night, remember?" Barbara grinned.  
  
"Yes... I know, I know but... you always call me whether I'm working or not!" Helena said, almost frustrated.  
  
"You were working and we were busy."  
  
"And you were busy with...?"  
  
"We are doing research," Diana explained. "I have suspects that we can't prove yet. Maybe I am be wrong, we don't want jump the gun if we are not sure."  
  
"Jump the gun?" Barbara smiled. "That's new, you got the lingo down."  
  
"Hey, I like to be updated." Diana winked.  
  
"Okay, okay... very funny, now what's going on?" Helena interrupted.  
  
"I told you," Barbara took some folders and showed it to her, "we are doing research on some clues, we don't have anything yet. Wanna help? I still need to check this."  
  
"Oh no, no..." Helena denied with her hands. "Office work is for you and the kid. I'm the one that kick ass in the street. Remember?"  
  
Diana couldn't avoid laughing and she stood up. "Well I'll let you talk, I need to go to pick up my things. I'll back in a couple of hours."  
  
"Okay," Barbara said. "In time for lunch, maybe I will have some answers when you get back."  
  
"That would be marvelous. See you. Bye Helena."  
  
"Bye" the girl answered; she observed the tall woman walking inside the elevator until it closed. She looked her mentor, who kept working at the Delphi. "Want to have breakfast with me?"  
  
"No thanks, I ate breakfast with Diana."  
  
"Ah.... I see... This is going to take you both much time."  
  
"Yes, she went now to pick up some things. We are going to work a lot it will be easier if she is here. Alfred is preparing the room for her now."  
  
"My room?" Helena opened her eyes with surprise.  
  
Barbara smiled lightly. "Your room? You don't live here."  
  
"But that is my room!" That idea was really unpleasant. That room had been hers and Barbara hadn't even given it to Dinah.  
  
"Helena you moved a few years ago, you have your own apartment. You asked for that and you never sleep in 'your room'." The older woman rubbed the bridge of her nose. Helena was definitely a big child.  
  
"But it's!"  
  
"Helena please! I have a lot of work to do!"  
  
"I'll go to my apartment."  
  
"Okay, just be here tonight, we have work to do."  
  
"Yea, yea."  
  
Dinah walked downstairs at that moment with her school bag on her back; she watched her friend leave. She went toward Barbara. "Bad mood again?"  
  
"When isn't she?" Barbara sighed.  
  
"Now why she is pissed?"  
  
"I hate that Helena is so rude with my friends or your friends. Since Diana appeared here, she is not being exactly nice to her. She came here asking me for help and I'm going to give it to her. Helena needs to learn to be gentle with people."  
  
"Barbara, she is just jealous."  
  
"Mmm?" Barbara turned her head to look at the blonde.  
  
Dinah smiled. "She is always the focus of attention, it's normal. She thinks her space has been invaded. All your attention was on Diana these few days, and mine too. Knowing Wonder Woman is amazing."  
  
"Yes, Diana is an amazing woman, not just for who she is, she is, incredible."  
  
"Don't worry about her."  
  
"I'm not. It's her problem, not mine."  
  
Dinah kept silence a few seconds. She relaxed against the desk looking at her mentor. "Barbara... does she know?"  
  
"Who knows...?"  
  
"Does the princess know who Helena is?"  
  
Barbara stopped typing.  
  
"You told me she and Batman were close friends," Dinah added.  
  
"Yes, they were.. are..." Barbara took off her glasses and rested her back on the chair.  
  
"She didn't ask you?"  
  
"She is very discreet and respectful. She never asks personal things. She knows about your mother and your life because you told her yesterday in the gym."  
  
"Are you going to tell her?"  
  
"I guess so, but I need to wait for a good moment."  
  
"Well... I'm going to the library with Gabby."  
  
"Okay, have fun."  
  
"Sure."


	3. Confrontation

Later that night. The elevator door opened; Helena appeared, she had a lollipop in her mouth. Diana, Barbara and Dinah were at the Delphi. The "princess" was dressed in... a swimsuit? How she could fight in a swimsuit? Well, anyway she couldn't criticize her costume, her father used to dress like a big bat and her mother as a cat; and her mentor dressed as a bat, as well. Her family was really weird, she was the only one that dressed like a normal person. She took a deep breath and walked inside. It had been difficult for her to accept Wade, even knowing he was Barbara's boyfriend, and now seeing another strange person there wasn't pleasant.  
  
Barbara raised her head. "Where have you been? It's late, your comm is off."  
  
"I was busy and you were working," Helena said in casual tone walking inside to the Delphi. "What's up?"  
  
"We have problems. We think Circe is in New Gotham."  
  
"We?" Helena took the candy out of her mouth.  
  
"We." Barbara said with a firm voice, glaring to her.  
  
"Who is this Circe?" Dinah asked.  
  
Diana explained, "Circe is the most powerful of all the witches, she was trained by Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft, herself. Circe is the sorceress who transforms people into animals with her Bestiamorph potion. She can teleport, create complex illusions, and transform hersef to resemble anyone or anything she wishes."  
  
"Don't tell me you believe in things like Gods and witches..." Helena frowned.  
  
"She was born from clay." Barbara turned her chair and saw her protégés. "Hippolyta, the Queen of the amazons molded a baby out of clay. She waited for a miracle and the goddesses of Ilympus granted life to the child: Diana, that was almost 300 years ago."  
  
"Let me explain," Diana interrupted "The goddesses gave me the soul of a child that my mom had lost 32,000 years before," Diana said with sad voice. "My mother was a prehistoric woman pregnant with a child. She was reborn in the time of ancient Greece, Hyppolyta and my amazon sisters were created by the gods of Mount Olympus to bring Glory to Gaea, the Earth Mother. Dedicated to peace, the amazons founded the city-state of Themyscira."  
  
"That is the weirdest story that I have ever heard," Helena said.  
  
"But it's true." Diana smiled. "The goddesses gave me powers, special gifts, speed, strength..."  
  
"Wow!" Dinah exclaimed, excited. Her eyes shone. "You really are 300 years old?"  
  
"Many women would feel offended by that question." Diana touched the girls shoulder and smiled. "But yes, I am... we are immortals."  
  
"Well, the problem is Circe, she has a potion called the Bestiamorph," Barbara explained "This potion transform men into beasts."  
  
"Men and women?" Dinah asked.  
  
"No, just men." Barbara answered. "Diana gave me some clues, we followed them and did some research; we are sure that Circe will try to contaminate canned food."  
  
"New Gotham has more than 15 canned food factories," Helena said.  
  
"Yes, I found some names." Barbara showed her a computer screen with a list of five names. "All these guys are scientist. She could influence in any one of them."  
  
"So this means..." Dinah said.  
  
"We need to follow them."  
  
"Okay, let's go to work." Helena said.

* * *

Barbara sent the three woman to different places. They needed to move quickly before Circe could start to put her plan into action. It was a long and boring night following people. Huntress crouched on a tall building of 30 floors, looking at the window of the building that was in front of her. She had spent more than three hours there.  
  
"This is boring Oracle. Do you think something will happen here?"  
  
::Be patient::  
  
"I am... he just walked in and turned off his lights." Suddenly Huntress heard a loud noise. "Wait... something is happening." The next sound was breaking glass.  
  
::What's going on::  
  
"I'll tell you in a second." Huntress jumped to the next building, landing in the emergency stairway, that was in front of the doctor's apartment, and she broke the window to enter. She was shocked when she saw a big... animal inside the apartment. It was almost as tall as the ceiling with big fangs and claws. She had never seen anything like that.  
  
"Damn..." she whispered.  
  
::What's happening?::  
  
Unexpectedly, the creature hit her with its long tail. She crashed against the bar, breaking bottles and the furniture. The blow had been powerful.  
  
::Huntress?:: Oracle asked ::Are you okay?::  
  
The crime fighter instinctively used her legs to push him back when he tried to charge against her again. She stood up and hit him but he didn't seem to feel it. He threw her several punches that she blocked, but she didn't expected him to use his tail again, and she was hit in her side with it. As she bent over, a fist smashed against her face. She fell backwards grabbing her nose, she touched blood. His growl make her turn her head, he was over her. She took a piece of broken wood and smashed it against him to make him step back. She hit him again and the beast fell to the floor.  
  
From nowhere, she felt a blow on her back that make her fall forward. The talons of a big eagle grabbed the back of her coat and the enormous bird flew through the broken window hitting her head hard against the window frame before she could react. The eagle was incredibly fast; she shook her head and saw that it was going to crash her against the wall of the next building. All she could do was cover her head with her arms to minimize the strong impact.

The eagle released her before it flew up and she smashed with an incredible speed against the brick wall. Huntress felt everything turn black; she tried to hold onto something with her hands, but she was stunned; her body went limp and she fell more than 200 yards. She felt something take her by the back before she passed out.  
  
"I got her," Wonder Woman said through a mic that Oracle had given to her. She had called her when she heard the sounds of fighting and the non- response of her protégé. Wonder Woman had flown at high speed to catch her an instant before she hit the ground.  
  
::Is she okay?::  
  
"I think so, just stunned..." Wonder Woman heard a screech. She turned and saw the big eagle behind her back. She flew up trying to avoid it but it was almost as fast as her. She flew down but the big bird was approaching dangerously. She passed her right arm around Huntress's waist and unexpectedly she turned around, surprising the eagle and hitting it hard in the back with her fist. She heard the crack of it's spinal column breaking. The eagle screeched and fell down to its death below. She took Huntress' knees with her other arm and flew toward the next building landing gently. She put her down and sat on the rooftop.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked examining the bleeding girl's nose.  
  
The brunette nodded dizzily. She had been out cold for just a few seconds.  
  
"I'll be right back, don't move." Wonder Woman flew toward the apartment where she saw the eagle had exited. The apartment was empty. She began to examine it. "Now I'm sure, Circe is trying something." She said through the mic. "Huntress was attacked by her beasts."  
  
::Is she near there?::  
  
"I don't think so." She kneeled looking at papers all over the floor. "Maybe he was one of the beasts. She was looking for him and he escaped. I don't know." She suddenly saw a strange metal piece on the floor inside the bedroom and picked it up.  
  
::Take pictures and come back.::  
  
"Alright."  
  
A few minutes later Wonder Woman landed again on the rooftop where she had left Huntress. The girl was standing up, supporting her weight with a hand on a wall.  
  
"How do you feel?" the princess asked trying to help the brunette, but she refused it.  
  
"Better... thanks." Huntress said, feeling her pride hurt. "I can do this alone..."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I found a big beast inside the apartment. I have never seen anything like that. It was very big. I had knocked it over when something hit my back. When I opened my eyes I saw a brick wall in front of me and I just had time to cover my head..."  
  
"Circe's beast, nothing pleasant." Wonder Woman put her hands on her waist. That was bad news. Circe was in New Gotham.  
  
"Yes, they are really strong." Huntress cleaned her nose with the back of her hand. She felt stupid for letting those "beasts" knock her around so easily.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. Her potion turns men incredibly strong." Wonder Woman took out a cloth. "Raise you head," she told Helena.  
  
"I can do it alone..."  
  
"Raise your head, I'm not going to hurt you," Diana almost ordered.  
  
Huntress raised her head in a bad mood and Wonder Woman cleaned her face and put the cloth under her nose.  
  
"Do you always fight in a swimsuit?" The unexpected question took Wonder Woman off guard.  
  
"Sorry?" she asked.  
  
"Do you fight always in a swimsuit? Isn't it uncomfortable?" "It's not a swimsuit." Diana couldn't avoid laughing. "Hold it."  
  
"Looks like one..." Huntress took the cloth with her hand.  
  
::Please girls, come back; we need to check what you found..::  
  
"All right," Wonder Woman said. She looked at Huntress "Oracle needs to check your nose. Wanna a ride up?"  
  
"No thanks, I'll go on my own."  
  
Wonder Woman knew that in some way Huntress felt angry at herself because she had been defeated by the beast. "You did well, those creatures are not from this world. Keep that in mind. It's not easy to fight against one of them and less against two. They don't fight in a clean way."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind."  
  
Wonder Woman turned and flew toward the sky. Huntress lowered her head. She knew she had been one of her father's best friends. She had been rude and the amazon had helped her and didn't seem be angry or annoyed with her. It was a confusing situation. Stumbling she walked toward the edge of the building holding the piece of cloth under her nose.

* * *

_**That was Helena Kyle. I had met heroes before but none like her. I was the sure that behind her rage and constant bad mood she was hiding something. Maybe a sad story of her life. Usually people act like that when they are mad at life. She fought incredibly, she impressed me. She loved the adrenaline rushing over all her body. Her movements were clean and fast. She fought as if her life didn't matter to her. Maybe inside, it didn't matter to her.  
  
She intrigued me, Dinah was warm and sweet, had a lot of Barbara in her; them both were almost the same, but Helena, Helena was the bad girl of the team. Being friendly wasn't a side of her, She was a big kid always being scolded by Barbara and she seemed to love it, it was call for attention. Barbara wasn't easy too, she hid her emotions too. Both hid their emotions. They talked frequently and they were together almost all day; I could feel how much they needed one another. A strange bond kept them together, I was sure. **_


	4. The past that you don't know

A few hours later Diana was closing her suitcase after unpacking her clothes lost in her thoughts. Between heroes, it was hard not knowing each other. She knew Oracle from many years ago, she had helped her many times with her cybernetic abilities. Batman had told her she was the best cybernetic hacker in the world, and he was right; Oracle was a cyber- genius.  
  
Now she needed her help again. Circe was a dangerous enemy. She really worried her, she was not a typical enemy. Diana stood up next to the window and looked at the city. She would transform New Gotham into chaos, mixing her potion and transforming people into beasts. The day that her mother died, Circe had taunted her to kill her, but she had refused to give in to hate. She had offered the hand of compassion and mercy but Circe refused it. Circe's young daughter, Lyta, stopped the final battle. Remembering that day was painful for her. It was not easy live without her mother. She knew she was now with their Gods but, anyway, it wasn't easy.  
  
"Diana?" Barbara knocked on the door that was half opened. It pulled Diana from her thoughts.  
  
"Barbara, come in." she said, smiling "I just finished unpacking."  
  
"I hope you feel comfortable, is not a big place but..."  
  
"This place is really nice." She looked around "I love it."  
  
"I know that it's late but I need to talk with you."  
  
"Come in..."  
  
Barbara closed the door and wheeled toward her. Diana took her suitcase and put it inside the closet.  
  
"Thanks for saving Helena." Barbara said.  
  
"You don't need to thank me. We were working, it's our job." Diana sat at the bed. "But..."  
  
"But?"  
  
"I think Helena feels that I'm invading her space. I was thinking about talking with her."  
  
"About her I wanted talk to you." Barbara sat in front of her and played with her fingers as she always did when she felt nervous. She didn't know how to start. The amazon noticed her hesitance.  
  
"What happened Barbara?"  
  
"We talked about Dinah but... we haven't talked about Helena, you must know about her. I was waiting for a quiet moment like this one."  
  
"You told me she is half meta, that she has incredible abilities to fight, senses like a cat."  
  
"Yes, I told you general things about her life but... I think it's important that you know. Maybe you can understand better why she is like she is. Her life hadn't been easy... She is Selina's Kyle daughter."  
  
"Catwoman?" Diana blinked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I read about her murder and about her having a daughter."  
  
"That's Helena."  
  
"How are you her mentor? I don't understand."  
  
"Selina sometimes fought helping Batman or me, you know that. Strange but she had a great sense of moralality. It created a strange empathy between us."  
  
"I fought against her once... it was so many years ago." Diana remembered.  
  
"One day she disappeared. Many years later I found her shopping in a supermarket; when I saw her, she surprised me; I thought she was going to start her criminal career again and I warned her, but she laughed and told me she was retired and invited me to dinner. I went to her home without knowing what to expect. She surprised me again when I saw Helena, she was five years old. I couldn't believe it. She had retired for her daughter; she wanted to give her a normal life; not drag her inside her turbulent life as a criminal. Selina told me than when she knew was pregnant, she moved to Paris looking for tranquility."  
  
"Oh... I didn't know..."  
  
"I couldn't believe in the beginning that she would really retire, but..." Barbara smiled remembering, it was if that night had been yesterday. "I saw her interacting with Helena, it was lovely; she was a smart and charming child. Her eyes shone every time she looked at her mother; she admired her... Helena was warm, she had a lot of love to give; she was the princess of a castle and her mother was the queen. Her life was perfect-- she laughed all day and was friendly. She was a hurricane, well, she still is." The red head looked at her friend "But after the murder, her world collapsed."  
  
"That must have been terrible..."  
  
"Worse than that. One day she was sleeping under a ceiling and next one she was an orphan without a place to go. She was no longer a princess. I knew many weeks after my shooting that Selina had given me custody. Trying to find her was easy. Hard was trying to make her trust me and to avoid that anger that consumed her soul. She still has a lot of frustration inside her. Well... you saw her, she is not friendly, she's... grumpy."  
  
"I understand..."  
  
"Inside she thinks it's all unfair. She is not mad at you, she just... doesn't like people, I never could get her to open her heart again; she is still hurting, her mother's murder is a wound still bleeding inside her; she didn't want to accept it. She hides her pain behind a shield of coldness and fury. Convincing her to accept Dinah took me so many months."  
  
"Big discussions?" Diana imagined the picture.  
  
"Yes," Barbara gave a loud sigh "and the worst was convincing her that she needed a partner; it was really difficult. But Dinah is smart, she has helped Helena to open herself up a bit more. She's like her little sister. Dinah deals perfectly with her bad mood and character. Now she knows how to manage her."  
  
"Why did you train Helena as a hero?" Diana crossed her arms. The story was fascinating. "You told me Selina wanted a normal life for her."  
  
"Helena is special. She has abilities; she had developed some of them when Selina was killed, she could see perfectly at night, jump high distances, she moves with grace and has incredible speed. But... I noticed she was starting to hate, hate the man that had stolen her life. Hate against life... and against her father... and that hate was destroying her. I needed to stop it."  
  
"Her father?"  
  
Barbara took a deep breath, this was the hardest part of her talk, but Diana needed to know. "Helena is the daughter of Bruce and Selina..."  
  
The princess of Themyscira froze, that was an unexpected confession. "Bruce?"  
  
"Yes, Bruce Wayne... Batman..."  
  
Diana blinked and looked at Barbara, stunned. "That is..."  
  
"I was waiting for the best moment to tell you this. It would help you to understand her and her attitude more. Just few people know that. Alfred, Dick, Dinah, I... and now... you. I'll ask you keep the secret."  
  
"Barbara, be sure of that... but... him? Why didn't he take care of her?"  
  
"Selina never told him that she was pregnant; she asked me to keep the secret. That day, the day that Helena lost her and that Joker shot me wasn't easy for anyone. I have been fighting against my demons since that night and helping Helena to face her own." Barbara could feet tears forming in her eyes, talking about his attitude still hurt her. "Batman just... just ran away, he didn't understand that he was not the only one that needed fight to against his demons. He just left us, I never could tell him who she was. I never had the opportunity. I confessed the truth to Helena almost a year after her mother was murdered. She needed to know that she wasn't an orphan... but, she always felt like one because he never came back." Barbara paused still looking at her fingers.  
  
"She didn't understand him... I still don't understand him... her frustration and sadness turned into rage and fury. She says that she doesn't want to know him, that she doesn't need him, but I'm sure it's her shield against the pain. She has so much anger inside her. I chose to train her, to teach her to deal with her demons and to survive herself."  
  
"And he knows now that she is her daughter?"  
  
"I don't know, I hope he doesn't know... because if he knows... he is a coward... but inside, I'm sure he knows that Helena is his daughter." Barbara wiped a tear from her check with the back of her hand. "Funny, he could defeat the greatest criminals in Gotham City, but he isn't capable of facing a 23 year old girl, his own daughter. Maybe he is afraid, she is Selina's daughter, his daughter. It means he'd have a part of his biggest love alive. Maybe to see her would be like seeing Selina again."  
  
"The dark knight always was mysterious." Diana kneeled in front of Barbara taking her hands. "You know him."  
  
"I knew him..." Barbara locked her eyes on Diana. "But he forgot he is first a man, then a father, and at last, a hero. He is losing the opportunity to see his daughter grow. The time will never come back. Maybe the day will come that he wants to recover her, but it will be too late... Diana, I needed him, many times I felt desperate, I felt so afraid... so alone... so desperate watching Helena sink in her pain; she needed him too.... But he never appeared."  
  
Diana didn't have an answer, she just lowered her head.  
  
"She doesn't like to talk about him... I tried a thousand times but she closed all her doors. And I don't justify her attitude, but I understand her. Be patient with her, she is an excellent crime fighter but very temperamental, stubborn and obstinate. Being gentle is not one of her qualities..."  
  
"Yes I noticed that." Diana smiled "But tell me, what super hero is normal or easy? Everyone of us has a secret behind us."  
  
"Yes, true..." Barbara nodded. "I hope that knowing all of this helps you to understand her a bit more."  
  
"Don't worry Barbara, she is a great girl. Just as you said, a bit difficult. Do you know what?" The amazon locked her eyes on her friend.  
  
"No."  
  
"I admire you even more now than before."

* * *

__

_After that I not only understood Helena better, but Barbara too. Their lives hadn't been easy, her whole story surprised me. I never imagined that. I admired Barbara's ability to love and her strenght. She was amazing. After she left my room, I sat next to the window thinking of her, thinking of Bruce. What had been inside his mind? Maybe he knew that he had a daughter and avoided her to find some sense in his life. My mind kept working all night trying to solve the puzzle. Until fatigue enveloped me and I fell asleep._


	5. Missing cat

The next day Barbara was working at the Delphi, Dinah and Helena were with her looking at the monitors.  
  
"I got these pictures from the doctor's apartment. One of them shows a plan," Barbara explained and opened another screen. "Those pictures of the plans are similar to the New Gotham water treatment plant."  
  
"That sounds really bad," Helena said.  
  
"I did research on the missing doctor, the one that Helena was keeping an eye on," Dinah interrupted. "I found that he also works at the New Gotham water treatment plant."  
  
"That was very smart, Dinah." Barbara smiled.  
  
"So... that beast that I fought was the doctor?" Helena asked standing up behind her.  
  
"I guess so." Diana opened the balcony door. She had been looking for more traces of the missing doctor, unsuccessfully "And the metal piece that I found?"  
  
Oracle went to her computer and began typing. "It's a key, the logo on one of the sides, let me identify it easily."  
  
"We can go there to investigate."  
  
"You two go to the New Gotham water treatment plant," Barbara said to Wonder Woman and Huntress. "Dinah, I need you to come with me. We are going to visit Dr. Smith's office, he's the last one on the list; he is an old friend of mine."  
  
"Back up?" Dinah raised her brow.  
  
"Yes, I don't know what I will find there. If Circe is around here; she will try something against him."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Helena take this." Barbara gave her a small object with a string around it, like a pen. "Put it inside the water tanks, if the signal at the top turns red, it means that the water is contaminated."  
  
"Okay." Helena walked toward the elevator.  
  
"And... Helena?" Oracle looked her protégé. "Be nice please."  
  
"Yea, yea."  
  
Diana smiled. Oracle looked at her and said in low voice. "Be patient with her."  
  
"I will." The amazon patted her shoulder and went to the balcony. "Don't worry."

* * *

Wonder Woman and Huntress went along opposite sides of the New Gotham water treatment plant. It was big. Wonder Woman went to the lab and Huntress to the water tanks. The brunette began to check each one, there were ten.  
  
::How is it going, Huntress?:: Wonder Woman asked.  
  
"Six now, clean. Maybe we are wrong." The brunette kneeled at the seventh tank and moved the small computer inside using the string. She checked the time with her watch. "And you?"  
  
::Nothing yet, I'll keep an eye on the storage room.::  
  
"Right." Huntress raised the small computer and pressed a button. "Bingo!" she said. "I found one..."  
  
::Are you sure?::  
  
"It's one of the reserve tanks... it's contaminated with a strange substance... eighty percent."  
  
::That's too much.::  
  
"I'll disconnect this one and check the other ones." Huntress felt danger. She crouched and looked behind her back. The place seemed to be empty. She heard a growl over her head and ducked just in time to avoid a big beast falling on her. It was the same one that had been at doctor's apartment last night. "Hi, nice to see you too," she said. She jumped to avoid his tail sweeping at her. "That wasn't nice." She hit him twice and the beast moved back. She heard another growl at her back. Another beast appeared on the other side of the handrail where she was. She ran toward it and kicked it with both legs making it fall.  
  
She turned to find the other beast on its feet. She grinned and attacked. The beast stumbled back and fell down. "One." She heard a screech. She saw two big eagles flying toward her.  
  
She rolled to avoid them. Another beast, similar to a monkey, jumped from the floor to the handrail. "Dammit, I'm in a zoo." She hit the big monkey with her fist.  
  
::Huntress, are you all right?:: Wonder Woman asked.  
  
"I have a party now, would you like to join us?" Huntress kicked another beast. One of the eagles flew toward her, she bent down in time and the big bird hit the monkey. She stood up again and continued fighting against the strange animals. The tail of one of the beasts took her ankle and make her hit the ground. She kicked it with her other free leg. Wonder Woman punched one of the eagles that was flying toward her.  
  
"Behind you!" the amazon shouted to Huntress, and at the same time smashed the beast that was grabbing Huntress' leg with both fists.  
  
The brunette rolled in time to avoid the other big animal stepping on her. "Where did they come from?" she growled.  
  
"I don't know," Wonder Woman answered hitting the monkey "Circe's guys I presume."  
  
Helena hit two beasts with both hands. She felt a blast of energy hit her back; was a painful sensation. Huntress bent down and one of the beasts coiled its tail around her neck. She turned and charged against it hitting its chest with her head. Both feel inside a water tank.  
  
"Circe!" Wonder Woman turned when she saw her old enemy in the mid-air.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Circe threw a blast of energy at her that she blocked using her bracelets. She began to fly in circles trying to avoid the eagles and the shots of Circe against her.  
  
The beast pressed Huntress' neck forcefully inside the tank water. She struggled trying to get free and kicked it in the gut. The beast released her, she tried to swim up but the beast held her waist and pulled her down again. She needed to breathe. She used both fists and smashed one of the tanker walls breaking it.  
  
"What the...?" Circe exclaimed.  
  
The water mixed with the poison flooded over the floor. Huntress and the beast rolled out.  
  
"Stop this madness, Circe!" the amazon princess shouted hitting an eagle with her fist.  
  
The sorceress laughed. "I don't know what you are doing here, but I promise it will be the last time that you bother me!" She raised her hand and shot a blast light at her enemy. Wonder Woman raised her bracelets to stop it.  
  
Huntress coughed, she had swallowed so much water. She put her hands on the floor and kneeled; she felt her senses overwhelmed and her pupils changing from normal size to cat slits in a fast way. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the floor; her body felt numb and her breathing turned faster. "Oracle..." she gasped.  
  
::I'm here.::  
  
The brunette heard an involuntary growl from herself. "I... I'm feel..." she said almost with a whisper taking her hand to her chest.  
  
::Huntress? Are you alright?::  
  
The girl couldn't respond, she hit the ground and curled up, feeling as if she was falling into a deep hole. The monkey jumped over her and raising her over his head he threw her against another of the water tanks.  
  
Circe was like a mad woman throwing energy balls at Wonder Woman energy that she blocked with her bracelets. The amazon kept flying in circles avoiding her magic energy balls.  
  
Huntress crawled on the floor; the monkey went against her again. He took her arm. She reacted violently and hit him with incredible strength. Easily she knocked down three more beasts that tried to attack her. She gave a growl that wasn't human. Wonder Woman turned when she heard her growl.  
  
"Wow... I never expected this," Circe exclaimed surprised looking her too "Seems as your friend was affected by my potion... Interesting... How could it be?" she looked at Wonder Woman. "Who is she?"  
  
Huntress took a deep breath and looked around without understanding what was happening. Two more beasts appeared and attacked her. She charged against them and one of her kicks 7hit one of the beast sending it through the wall. Wonder Woman noticed something was wrong with her; she was strong, but not enough to do that. Circe tried to blow Wonder Woman away again with her energy blast taking advantage of her distraction, the amazon barely avoided it raising her hand in time.  
  
Huntress ran toward the wall and smashed it with her body breaking the bricks. Wonder Woman continued avoiding the blasts of energy with her bracelets and looked at what the girl had done to the wall. Something was wrong. She needed to follow her, Circe would wait. She reflected one of the energy balls back at Circe. The sorceress was smashed with her own power. The amazon flew toward the hole that Huntress had made.  
  
"Stop her!" Circe shouted to her beasts.  
  
As soon as she exited the room, two big birds attacked her. She flew to avoid them. They began to follow her, she needed all of her ability to avoid them. She took her magic lasso to hold one and knocked the other one with her fists. She looked around searching for Huntress but she had gone.

* * *

Barbara and Dinah were in the hummer returning to Clock Tower after visiting the doctor. Barbara was driving at high speed toward the New Gotham water treatment plant after the last call of Huntress.  
  
::Oracle, we have a problem:: they heard Diana's voice. "Can you find Huntress with your equipment?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
::Circe. She appeared. Huntress fell inside one of the tanks with the potion. Something happened to her. I'm flying in circles trying to find her.  
  
"The potion doesn't affect women," Oracle told her. Dinah opened the laptop an typed on the keyboard.  
  
::I know, but it affected her in some way. She broke a brick wall and hit the beasts that were attacking her with an incredible strength, she wasn't herself.::  
  
"She changed into something?"  
  
::No, and I don't know how it affected her exactly, but she ran away after knocking the beasts out. Circe sent two big eagles behind me and when I went back to follow Huntress she had disappeared.::  
  
"I got her..." Dinah said. "She is three miles to your right, is moving to the north... very fast. Madison street."  
  
Without warning, Barbara turned the hummer screeching the wheels. Dinah hit her side against the door. "Hey careful!" she exclaimed.  
  
"I've told you so many times use the seat belt."  
  
"Right, right." Dinah took the seat bell and buckled it. Securely.

* * *

Huntress jumped over a rooftop, she crouched and raised her nose; she smelled food. She turned her head looking around to figure out from where the smell was coming. Finally, she found it and ran toward it jumping between buildings. A few seconds later she was in the back of a bakery. She looked through the window and tried to enter but the door was closed. Angry she broke it with a kick and walked in. The smell was strong. She opened a door and saw a place was full of cakes and pudding. She went toward one of the counters and took some cakes sitting on the floor to eat them.  
  
"An alarm was activated in a cake shop..." Dinah said. "I guess it's Huntress, her signal is there too."  
  
::Copy that:: Wonder woman said.  
  
"What is she doing in a cake shop?" Oracle asked, pressing the accelerator.  
  
"She's always hungry."  
  
"Damn," Oracle cursed.  
  
Diana landed at the back of the cake store. She saw the broken door and she walked in. The place was in darkness. She heard noises at the front and walked toward it. She slowly opened the door that connected the kitchen with the store. On the floor there were several pieces of bread and cake but Huntress wasn't there.  
  
She looked around, her eye stopped on a footprint in meringue; she kneeled next to it. Suddenly, she heard a growl and felt a hard blow on her back. Helena has sensed the intruder and she had hidden to surprise her. Wonder Woman rolled and prepared to attack but the girl had gone. The door to the kitchen was moving.  
  
Hermes! She is really fast. Diana thought to herself and ran behind the brunette.  
  
Huntress jumped between buildings. Wonder Woman landed in front of her making her stop her crazy run. Huntress crouched on the ground, hissing in annoyance and growling threateningly. Diana observed her, her eyes were feral. She never had seen anything like that and there was a strange orange color to her iris. And she definitely wasn't herself.  
  
"Huntress?" The amazon stepped toward her. "Calm down, it's Diana."  
  
The brunette moved back and looked around for a place to escape. Diana began to walk slowly toward her. Huntress tried to move to her left but Wonder Woman blocked her way. She growled and moved back again.  
  
"We need to go home," the princess said with soft voice. "You need help, come with me."  
  
Huntress attacked her; Wonder Woman grabbed her wrists. They struggled. The girl moved like a wild cat. The princess put her arm around her neck trying to control her without injuring her. Huntress grumbled and jumped with Wonder Woman on her back and turned in the air smashing the amazon's back hard against the ground.  
  
"Ouff!!" The princess released Huntress; the young woman stood up and crouched defensively.  
  
"You hit like a mule." Diana coughed standing up.  
  
::Wonder Woman. Did you find her?:: Oracle asked.  
  
"Yes, I guess she is pissed, she didn't like that I interrupted her lunch time. The poison has made her extremely strong and she doesn't recognize me."  
  
Huntress circled her, preparing to attack again.  
  
::Listen to me.:: Oracle said ::She is very fast using her hands and she usually use kicks and jumps to fight. Try to keep your distance, so she can't hit you.::  
  
"Got it..." Wonder Woman moved her hand to her magic lasso. "Calm down, Huntress... I don't want to hurt you." She slowly removed it and began to move it over her head.  
  
The movement caught the brunette's attention. Her eyes were fixed on the lasso moving over Wonder Woman's head.  
  
"That's it... don't move... everything will be okay." She threw it at Huntress but the girl took it with her hand hissing and pulled it. The movement took the amazon off guard and she flew against a billboard with such force that she broke it. The spotlights that lit it exploded and it burned.  
  
Oracle and Dinah heard the explosion from the street.  
  
"What the hell?" Oracle groaned and looked up in time to see that the billboard was falling over her. Oracle put the Hummer reverse and pressed the accelerator to avoid the billboard.  
  
"Don't go so far!" Dinah shouted to Oracle, she saw Wonder Woman falling too and moved her hand to stop her fall. Oracle stopped a few meters back and looked at the big fire in front of her, stunned. Diana was frozen a few meters above it. She looked at her protégé who had her arm extended.  
  
"Now, you have really impressed me," Oracle said.  
  
Wonder Woman took a second to recover. She noticed she was floating in id- air. Whatever had stopped her fall had impeccable timing. She saw the hummer and flew toward it, landing on Oracle's side.  
  
"Are you all right?" Oracle asked.  
  
"Yes... I..." she looked up still not understanding what had happened.  
  
"Dinah, it was Dinah." Oracle explained.  
  
"Uh? Thanks," Wonder Woman said. "Your protégé are really good." She rubbed her chin.  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"She ran away again. She moves like a damn cat."  
  
"Maybe you didn't notice, but she is." Oracle looked at Dinah "Where is she now?"  
  
Dinah took the laptop again and put it on her knees. "Still on top of the building."  
  
Diana looked up and flew up at high speed. She looked down. "I don't see her."  
  
::The signal shows her there:: Dinah said.  
  
::Yes, she is right::  
  
"The place is empty." Diana examined the place and discovered the necklace on the roof. She picked it up. "I have bad news, while we were fighting her necklace fell off her neck."  
  
::Damn!:: Oracle growled.  
  
"I'll fly around up here, we must find her."  
  
::Dinah and I will look down here.::

* * *

_**We had lost the rebellious girl. That was not good. She was almost impossible to control in all her senses and now, in her feral mode, things would turn worse. I looked around the city all night, but I couldn't find her. I knew Barbara was in anguish for her; I was too, we didn't know how the potion had really affected her and the consequences of it. I stopped my search when the morning arrived. I thought we needed to think a bit about where she could be and lay out a plan.  
  
**_


	6. Hunting a cat

  
  
Eight o'clock, morning.  
  
Dinah had had fallen asleep on one of the chairs and Barbara had her head resting on her hands, thinking. She was worried, they had been looking for Huntress all night unsuccessfully. She had been checking the police tv security cameras all over the city but it seemed as if she just had disappeared.  
  
The balcony door opened, making her raise her head. Diana walked in.  
  
"Did you find her?"  
  
"No," the princess answered. "She isn't in any place I looked. I checked every place I could think of, and I couldn't find her." Diana knew how important the girl was to her friend. She touched her shoulder.  
  
"We went to Dark Horse Bar... to her old house, to all the places where she usually goes and we couldn't find any trace."  
  
"You look tired Barbara, you need rest."  
  
"I am... but I need to find her." Barbara rubbed her eyes.  
  
"We will. Just be patient."  
  
"Why did the Bestiamorph affect her?" Diana asked. "She is not a man."  
  
"But she is meta, and her meta side is like a cat. It's just a theory, but I think her primal instinct was be overwhelmed by the potion."  
  
"That sounds bad."  
  
"It is bad. I need a sample of that water. We need to find an antidote too."  
  
"I brought it for you." Diana gave her a small bottle. "Look, go and rest, I'm sure she's sleeping now in some place. She surely will go out and, when she does, we will go for her."  
  
"No, I need work on the antidote now."  
  
"Okay, I'll fly a few rounds around the city. I have an appointment at one o'clock at the United Nations. I'll go and be back in a few hours. I'll be here at six o'clock."  
  
"All right, thanks so much, Diana."  
  
"I'll try to finish that meeting fast."  
  
"Okay."

* * *

_**I didn't want to go to that meeting, I would have preferred to be with Barbara, helping her find Helena, but it was with the President of Rwanda. The land mines were a problem against which I had been fighting frequently.**_

* * *

She awoke, slowly she stretched and yawned, she had been sleeping almost all morning. The grumbling in her stomach was the signal that she was hungry. Sleeping on the floor of the old building was uncomfortable. At least the woman that had been following her had disappeared. She looked through the window. She smelled something. Something good, she looked down. Whatever it was, it was food. She jumped down.  
  
Helena walked toward a store with roast chicken. She put her hands on the glass of the window. The smell was good. Inside there were too many people and the roast machine was facing the sidewalk. Without thinking, she smashed the glass and took one of the chickens. One of the owners shouted and ran outside his store. She growleded and ran, jumping to the next building.

* * *

Barbara slept just an hour and woke up at almost eleven. Dinah was at the Delphi.  
  
"Do you have any news?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, she appeared." Dinah watched the monitor and showed her some printed papers.  
  
"Why you didn't call me?" Barbara felt her heart jumping. She took the reports and examined it. "Yes, it must be her."  
  
"It was five minutes ago. I was going to call you. She broke a window and stole a roast chicken from a store. I was trying to find her using the security cameras, but she disappeared. I just got a very blurry image of her running on Oxford Street. She moves damn fast." Dinah moved back. "I called Reese too, I explained everything to him."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"It's not funny that your girlfriend is lost and acting like a big cat, what do you think?"  
  
"He is worried."  
  
"Yes, and looking for her now. "  
  
"I'll be here, go and help Reese."  
  
"Okay..." Dinah said, standing up.

* * *

She licked her fingers. That chicken was good. She sat in a corner in an alley. Around her were many trash containers and old boxes. The place was full of noises from the street, cars, people, seller.  
  
"Helena?"  
  
She crouched in a defensive position and looked up. A black man was standing in front of her.  
  
He never had seen her eyes that way, they weren't her normal feral eyes. It was weird; her hair was messy. He felt his heart sink looking at her. It hurt him to see her in that way, like a scared animal. She looked around with her eyes looking for a route to run away. She tried to escape but he blocked her way.  
  
"Helena, I'm Reese," he said softly.  
  
The brunette hissed and moved back against the wall.  
  
He looked at the chicken bones all over the ground. He took some soup crackers out of his coat. He opened it and showed them to her, kneeling in front of her. "Do you want it?"  
  
She didn't move, just moved her nose smelling. He broke a piece off and threw it to her, she hissed again and moved back; she looked the soup cracker and slowly took it with her hand. She smelled it and eate it. It tasted good, she kept her eyes on him.  
  
"Good right?" he said. "Want more?" He broke another piece and threw it next to her again. She took it again and ate it as fast as she could, before the man could try to take it from her. He raised his hand and showed her the rest of the crackers. She slowly moved forward and smelled it. He turned his hand over and she moved her head back slightly. After a few seconds she smelled the back of his hand, her eyes watching him warily. She recognized his scent. She knew him. She purred and kept still. Reese smiled and with his other hand he caressed her hair. "Ok, Helena, I'm glad to see you too."  
  
She moved toward him and buried her head in his lap, he hugged her and rubbed her back. It was strange to hear the sound of Helena's vibrating purrs. "Now we need to go home..."  
  
"It's her!" They heard the voice of the owner of the chicken store, two police officers were with him. Helena raised her head and hissed.  
  
"Wait!" Reese shouted. Helena moved back and crouched.  
  
"She is a damn thief!" the man said.  
  
"We need to take her to the police station," one of the police officers said.  
  
"Stop! I'm a detective from the NGPD." Reese stood up.  
  
Helena looked at one of the police officers walking toward her, she pushed Reese making him hit against the store's owner while she ran down the street. One of the police officers took out his gun and Reese jumped over him.  
  
"Don't do that stupid!" he shouted, frustrated "I was going to get her and you ruined it!" He ran, following her, and shouting her name, but she was too fast for him.  
  
Tired, he put his hands on his knees and breathed trying to take air to his lungs. He stood up and furiously licked a car parked on the street with his foot. "Dammit! I lost her!"

* * *

"Did you lose her?" Barbara asked.  
  
::Sorry, Barbara, those unexpected policemen ruined everything.:: Reese said annoyed.  
  
"Don't worry, I understand," she rubbed the bridge of her nose, this was an exhausting situation. "Dinah is in the Hummer looking for her in places near there. I'm working now on an antidote."  
  
::She went north, but I don't know where.::  
  
"She could be anywhere, I have been watching the monitors, but she is lost again."  
  
::I'll keep looking for her.::  
  
"Thanks, Reese."

* * *

Helena walked out of a fake cave inside the New Gotham zoo. She yawned, she had taken a good nap there and the sun was setting. It had been a good place to hide far from people. She heard a noise, she jumped over a tree and looked around. Her eyes noticed a man with a big plate of fruit walking outside a storage building. She waited a few seconds before going to the storage area. She sniffed, inside there was food. She tried to open the door but it was closed. She took the lock and pulled it, breaking it.

* * *

"Barbara?" Dinah checked the monitor.  
  
"Yes?" the redhead answered, distractedly looking at the images of some security cameras in the street.  
  
"The police got a report. A robbery inside the New Gotham Zoo. The door of a storage room was broken."  
  
"What was stolen?"  
  
"Food, fruit, bananas, apples..."  
  
Barbara turned her head and wheeled towards Dinah. "Fruit?"  
  
"Yes, the report said that whoever it was, stole fruit. Inside there are refrigerators but the thief just stole fruit. They found pieces of apples and bananas."  
  
"Interesting. Today is Monday, the zoo is closed."  
  
"They also found a vending machine broken near there. The thief stole bags of pop tarts and cookies."  
  
"Let's go," Barbara said taking off her glasses. "Bring a tranquilizer, we will need it. I'll call Diana, she has a meeting at the UN, but she told me she would back at night."  
  
"She flys fast," Dinah sighed.  
  
"No, she has a plane." Oracle went toward her monitor.  
  
"Maybe we could buy one."  
  
"No parking near here for planes."  
  
"A helicopter?" the blonde asked, hopefully.  
  
"Too much noise."

* * *

Night.  
  
Helena crouched in a tree. In the afternoon, there had been of a lot of movement there; many men running from one side to another. She had been watching them all afternoon, it had kept her distracted there. She finished the last bag of poptartss and jumped down, now she was thirsty. She walked looking for water. Suddenly, the cries of monkeys from insie a cage made her drop into a defensive crouch, eyes feral, she hissed.  
  
She moved back and a street lamp revealed her.  
  
"Hey you!" a male voice was heard. "What are you doing here? The zoo is closed!"  
  
Helena growled and crouched again, ready for attack.  
  
"I said get out!" the guard of the zoo shouted, lighting her face with his flashlight. "Are you crazy?"  
  
She covered her eyes from the light. The guard walked toward her. Helena charged against him, sending him flying several meters against some bushes. She jumped over him, she grabbed him by his throat and growled. The man was scared, he took out a gun and shot at her. 


	7. Helena or Huntress?

The shot missed, but the loud noise made her angry, she punched him harder. The man fell backwards and the pistol fell to the floor. She hit him with her fists. The man yelped.  
  
"Helena, stop!!!"  
  
The brunette turned her head and saw another intruder.  
  
"Are you crazy?" Dinah said, looking the bleeding man lying on the floor. "You are going to kill him!"  
  
The brunette growled and ran toward her to attack. Dinah understood she was not in her senses and, raising her hand, she hit her friend with an energy shield that made the brunette bounce against the ground. Dinah stepped back. "Huntress, it's me..."  
  
The brunette heard a noise and turned, she saw the guard dragging to take his pistol again. She was over him before Dinah could blink, she reacted immediately and jumped over the brunette to prevent her from hurting him more. Helena pushed Dinah with incredible strength. Dinah rolled over the floor.  
  
"Barbara..." Dinah took her mic. "Helena doesn't recognize me..." She felt the hand of her friend around her neck. Helena raised her with one hand. Dinah tried to release her grip but the strength of Helena was incredible. If she squeezed her neck, she would easily break it. "Huntess... don't..." she whispered.  
  
The brunette locked her eyes on her. Instinctively, she felt she couldn't hurt the girl. She released her and ran into the shadows. Dinah fell to the floor coughing and rubbing her neck. When she looked up, Helena had gone. She wanted to follow her, but the zoo guard was in bad condition.  
  
Barbara arrived a few seconds later. Dinah was checking the unconscious man on the ground.  
  
"Dinah, what happened?" Barbara asked, worried at the sight of the man covered with blood.  
  
"She almost killed him. She attacked me, but I guess she recognized me suddenly, because she released me and ran. I thought for a moment that she was going to break my neck."  
  
Barbara took Dinah's chin in her palm to check her neck. Satisfied the girl was not injured, she checked her locator. "She is near here." She turned her wheelchair.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I need to stop her. She could seriously hurt someone."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Go to the Hummer, call an ambulance, this man needs help. Hurry up." Barbara turned on her mic. "Wonder Woman, position?"  
  
::A few minutes from New Gotham.::  
  
"We found Helena at the New Gotham zoo."  
  
::I'll be there in a few minutes.::

* * *

**_It would be just like her to think to hide in a zoo. Luckily, I finished my meetings at the United Nations and I was flying in my invisible jet to New Gotham again. I was flying as fast as I could but it would stil take me fifteen or twenty minutes._**

* * *

Helena sniffed, something familiar, she began to follow the smell. Her steps took her to the infirmary of the zoo. She broke the door easily pushing it with her hands. She walked in. Inside, there were some injured animals inside small cells that began to to make noises when they heard her inside. She looked at some of them; the smell turned stronger and she discovered from where the smell came.  
  
A young tiger, maybe ten months was inside a cage. His foot was bandaged. She kneeled and looked at him with curiosity. She tried to touch him and he growled at her; she returned the growl with a playful one. The animal moved his nose close to her to smell her and she did the same. They sniffed each others faces a few seconds. She looked up and shook the bars. She stood up and, taking it between her hands, she broke the door of the cell.  
  
The tiger moved outside and she followed him. She caressed his head and hugged him. The tiger saw her as a playmate and pushed her playfully with his paw. She fell and sat on the floor. She pushed him back with her hand and pounced at him. Growling, he jumped on her and they rolled around, wrestling for several minutes. The tiger nudged her with his head and they both uttered low rumbles of happiness from their chests.  
  
A raccoon eating corn caught Helena's attention. She crawled toward it to scare it.  
  
The plan worked and the raccoon jumped, she began to taunt it, playing. The raccoon ran to a corner and she tried to catch it but the small animal was fast. The game began to annoy the girl because she couldn't trap it. Suddenly, she lost it.  
  
The animal jumped on her back with it claws on her head. She growled and, moving back, she knocked down a counter. The raccoon jumped on the floor.

* * *

Barbara heard loud crash and she followed it. The only reason for it must be that someone was disturbing them. The silent night helped her to hear the noises clearly. She heard them coming from a house in one of the back parts of the park and she could see from a distance that the door was broken; she immediately knew that her protégé would be there. The place was dark, she need a few seconds to let her eyes adjust. She put the dart gun on her lap.  
  
Helena was taunting a raccoon. The small animal hissed to her and she tried unsuccessfully to trap it. She was so distracted that she didn't hear Barbara wheeling in.  
  
"Helena..."  
  
The brunette jumped back, startled, when she saw the red head. She crouched on the floor; she was in a corner and looked around trying to find a way to escape.  
  
"Easy Helena, it's just me, Barbara..." the red head said softly.  
  
Helena hissed, the last few hours she had been running from everyone, it seemed everybody wanted to catch her. She moved slowly toward her right.  
  
"No, no..." Barbara said calmly. "I don't want to you." Barbara heard the sounds coming from her protégé. They weren't normal. She couldn't see her well, the place was too dark, "Hel... are you okay?" She kept still watching her, she could see her eyes in feral form shining in the darkness.  
  
She heard her sniffing. After a few seconds that seemed like hours, Helena slowly began to move toward her. Through a window, a light from a lamp outside the house gave her the opportunity to see her. Her hair was messy and she had a strange look on her face. Barbara couldn't avoid feeling afraid, If Helena wasn't in her senses, she would be dangerous. She slowly extended her hand to her. The brunette moved her nose next to her skin. She sniffed there a few seconds and began to move slowly smelling her legs, too.  
  
"That's it..." Barbara whispered. "It's me..."  
  
Barbara heard a loud growl to her left, she turned her head and saw the big tiger, whose eyes shone in the dark, walking toward her. Barbara tried to unlock the dart gun. Helena hissed and moved back, startled by her abrupt movement. Barbara turned her chair to avoid the impact of the tiger that charged against her. The animal crashed into the back part of it making her fall to the floor with the chair over her. She hit the floor hard against the strong impact, and lost the dart gun.  
  
The tiger hit with the chair with his paw, she tried to keep it over her to avoid the tiger's sharp claws; or she wouldn't have a chance.  
  
Helena senses turned on. Suddenly, she jumped over the tiger grabbing his neck. Barbara watched the fight, her heart beating quickly; Helena was protecting her. The animal was strong and struggled, he scratched her with one of her claws on her arm and she released him. She growled and she hit him roughly with her fist on his snout. The fight was fast. After that, the animal understood who was in control and ran away.  
  
The brunette stood up and watched him go. Barbara used her strength to lift her chair. Helena heard the noise and turned her head; she watched her a few seconds and ran towards the back door.  
  
"Helena, don't go!" Barbara shouted.  
  
Helena broke the door smashing her body against it. She looked around. To her right was a small, square pool where the doctors took the sick dolphins. At the end of it was a small door. She jumped down and, crawling, crossed it, she was in a place full of machines. An engine room. She tried to climb up and put her foot over a key, the key broke under her weight and water flowed from it into the pool. A red light turned on and she looked the small door closing down. She ran and jumped trying to cross it before it closed.  
  
She always was fast.  
  
But this time she wasn't enough fast.  
  
She mewled when she felt the door trapping her ankle. She tried to free it, unsuccessfully, moving her legs, but the electronic door was heavy and created an intense pressure over her feet trying to close it. It hurt like hell and she had another problem, the water was running below the door and was filling the place.  
  
Barbara climbed on her chair again and picked up the dart gun. She wheeled in the direction Helena had gone. She looked for her outside calling her name. She heard growls coming from a small canal. She wheeled toward it.  
  
Helena was in the bottom of it, it was a very small pool but deep. The brunette was resting on her left side while her right foot was trapped below the electronic door, trying unsuccessfully to free her leg.  
  
Barbara saw the water flowing under the door, knew she didn't have much time, she took off her belt and wrapped her legs with it. She moved down the wheelchair. Helena hissed when she heard her and tried to move back but was impossible. She was trapped.  
  
''Helena, let me help you..'' Barbara looked at her, finally she could see her eyes, they had a strange color. She moved down the wheelchair and swung her legs over the edge. Helena growled loudly again, the pain was intense. "Easy, Hel... easy, I need to get you out of there." Barbara held the stairway and began to descend it slowly using her hands. She needed to get her out of there before she drowned.  
  
She heard a 'crack', the old stairway broke and she fell down; she tried to grab onto something but it was useless. Helena meowed and moved back. The last thing Barbara saw before her head hit against the opposite wall, was the wood ceiling of the room.

* * *

"Dinah." Wonder Woman landed next to her. The blonde was running inside the zoo park. "Where is Helena?"  
  
"Oracle went to look for her while I called an ambulance; I have been calling her but she doesn't answer me. I'm worried, and I don't know where she could be. Maybe Helena hurt her."  
  
"I hope no." The amazon looked around. "Keep your eyes open, I'll fly around the zoo looking for hers  
  
"Yes, maybe you can find them easily. Keep in contact."  
  
The amazon flew up and Dinah continued looking around.

* * *

Barbara was with her back against the cold wall. She slowly came back to her senses; she had been unconscious a few minutes. She felt her head throbbing and water around her. She tried to move, but a warm body against her didn't allow her movement. She opened her eyes and looked down, in some way, when she had been unconscious, Helena had recognized her and had managed to move her head to her lap.  
  
"Helena? Are you okay?"she asked looking at the girl's leg trapped under the door. It, in an attempt to close, was hurting her. The water was still flowing into the place. "Hold on." She leaned over Helena to pull her leg and free her knowing they didn't have much time.  
  
The brunette whimpered and held Barbara's waist strongly, feeling the pressure on her foot increase.  
  
"Helena, help me, try to move your feet." Barbara tried to free her again while the girl pulled her leg. "Harder, Helena." It was unsuccessful, the girl cried out and buried her head in Barbara's lap.  
  
Barbara stopped her movements. Helena's eyes were feral and she could read the pain in them. The pressure on her ankle was too much. Whimpering sounds started to come from the sick girl. Trying to soothe her, Barbara started to pet her head like a house pet. "It's okay, calm down, calm down.," Barbara told her softly, as whimpering sounds turned into a soft purr. In some way, the red head made her felt protected.  
  
::Oracle? Where are you?:: Dinah called her.  
  
"Dinah, I need help."  
  
::Thanks of God, you were off line. Are you okay?::  
  
"Yes, I'm okay. I'm with Helena. I need help, we are in trouble. I'm in a house next to the panther's cage; the east side of the park."  
  
::Got it. Wonder Woman?::  
  
::I'm on my way:: the amazon answered.  
  
Oracle looked down. Helena was breathing quickly, feeling scared without understanding what was happening. Oracle tried to move again but Helena growled. Oracle held her and continued to pet her head. The pain was too much.  
  
"I need to help you, this place is flowing, we need to go out.'' She moved lightly and taking a piece of metal broken from the stairway, she put it in the space where the door was opened, using it as a crowbar. ''Hold on just a few.'' She used all her weight but the crow bar just bent. "Damn."  
  
Helena buried her face on her.  
  
"Oracle, are you here?" she heard Wonder Woman's voice over her.  
  
"I'm here!" Barbara shouted.  
  
Diana kneeled on the edge and looked down. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes, open the door, her leg is trapped."  
  
Diana jumped down. Huntress raised her head and viciously hissed at her and tried to scratch her.  
  
''Huntress.!'' Barbara took her arm and held it against her.  
  
''It's okay. Don't worry,'' Diana said moving toward the door, but Helena threw her a punch that she barely avoided.  
  
"Damn, Helena!" Barbara shouted grabbing her wrist. "Let her help you."  
  
"She is just protecting you. Let me try something different." Diana kneeled and looked for the girl's eyes. "Helena, look at me."  
  
"Do you think that would work?" Barbara asked knowing what she was trying to do. The princess of Themyscira had been granted, by Arthemis, godss of the hunt, with the eyes of a hunter and unity with beasts. She had an empathy with the animal kingdom and was able to communicate and calm the most savage creatures.  
  
"I have never tried to create a link with a person that has a feline meta side," the amazon answered, "but we can try, maybe it will work... Helena, look at me," she said with a soft voice; the brunette growled, but didn't look at her. Wonder Woman raised her hand like she was going to touch Oracle. Helena annoyed, tried to attack her again, growling. Wonder woman moved back locking her eyes with her.  
  
"Shit! Helena!" Oracle tried to hold her, but the girl was too strong.  
  
"It's okay, it's okay. She is looking me." The amazon said.  
  
The brunette moved back and held Oracle's waist again unable to move her eyes from Diana. Something in them attracted her attention. Barbara observed the interaction in silence. Dinah appeared in that moment, but her mentor signed with her hand not to move and keep silence. Oracle noticed Huntress' agitation began to diminish. After a few moments, she started to purr and rubbed her head against Barbara's leg.  
  
Diana moved her hand and stroked Helena's arm. "Good girl," the princess praised and smiled at Oracle.  
  
"Amazing." Dinah said.  
  
Diana kneeled next to the door and pushed it up. The water ran freely inside filling the place. Huntress felt the pressure over her leg gone and a great relief on her ankle. The amazon held her waist with her left arm and Barbara with the other one before flying outside. 


	8. Home again

Barbara was immobilizing Huntress' leg, she had sprained her ankle. It had been a little difficult keeping her on the stretcher to attend to her. Barbara had scolded her at least three times.  
  
Helena tried to stand up. A computer screen caught her attention.  
  
"I said don't move!" Barbara forced her to lie down again.  
  
The brunette growled.  
  
"And don't be grouchy!"  
  
"Take this, Helena." Dinah gave her a laser pointer and showed her how turn it on and off pushing a button. The brunette took it and began to play with it.  
  
"Thanks." the red head said, brushing her messy hair. "Help me to splint her foot." It had been trouble trying to keep Helena quiet.  
  
Diana walked inside the infirmary in that moment. She had returned from the New Gotham water treatment plant. "I got more of the sample of the contaminated water."  
  
Helena heard her and tried to sit again.  
  
"Don't!" Barbara pointed at her with her finger. "Don't try to do it or you will be in trouble." The girl meowed in protest.  
  
Diana smiled and stood next to her, caressing her hair. The brunette purred happily.  
  
"It's easier to be her friend in this mood than when she is in all her senses."  
  
"I agree." Dinah finished bandaging her friend's ankle.  
  
"Her eyes change, it's weird," Wonder Woman said, looking the Helena who kept playing with the pointer.  
  
Oracle raised her head and looked at her protégé's eyes. "They always change into cat slits when she feels a strong emotion: anger, excitement, danger. The strange thing is the color, I noticed that but I needed fix her ankle first." She moved back and took a small scanner. She wheeled next to the girl. "Raise your head," she ordered, grabbing her jaw. She passed the scanner over her eyes. A green light turned on. Helena tried to grab the scanner with her hand but Barbara stopped her. "Don't, this is mine." She pointed the lamp that the girl had in her hand. "And that's yours."  
  
"What did you do?" Wonder Woman asked.  
  
"I scanned her eyes so I can check them at the computer. I have never seen that color on her. Where is the sample?" Oracle asked.  
  
"Here." Diana gave her a small bottle.  
  
"Good, I'll do more test now." Barbara raised the bottle. "Could you help me, princess? I need a sample of her blood. I just need a second."  
  
"Yes, we need help and I don't want her to hit me." Dinah said.  
  
Diana chuckled. "Okay." She moved her head trying to find Helena's eyes; she moved so much and was playing with her lamp. "Hey, look at me, Helena." After a few seconds she caught her attention.  
  
"What is she telling her?" Dinah watched the silent interaction in amazement.  
  
"I don't know, ask her; I just know it works." Oracle raised the needle.  
  
"Do it. It's okay." Diana said, softly.  
  
Helena jumped slightly when she felt the needle on her arm but something kept her trapped on the gaze of the amazon.  
  
Barbara took the sample of the blood and moved back. "Thanks."  
  
"Pleasure." Diana smiled and rubbed the brunette's cheek. "Thanks so much, Helena, now you need go and rest."  
  
"How do you that?" Dinah asked. "You must teach me. It's amazing!"  
  
Diana laughed. "Well, it's just a kind of link where you show her that she can trust you and that you don't want to hurt her."  
  
"Dinah, take her to your room," Barbara said, putting the samples on her lap. "You will sleep with me tonight. While you keep an eye on her, I need to work."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"May I help you?" the princess asked.  
  
"Sure, come with me." Both walked toward the lab.  
  
Dinah tried to move Helena, but she growled at her. She was happy there playing with the laser pointer and refused to move from the stretcher where she was.  
  
"You love to contradict, right?" Dinah sighed. "Come on, Huntress. 'Let's go.'' she took Helena's hand, but she growled, trying to scratch her. The blond moved back in time.  
  
"Problems, Miss Dinah?" Alfred walked inside the infirmary. He smiled and stood up next to the brunette. She recognized him immediately and rubbed her head on his arm purring. He smiled looking at her.  
  
"Barbara wants me to take her to her room, but she refuses to move," Dinah explained.  
  
"Try this." Alfred took out some poptarts. He waved them towards Helena and chuckled as her eyes stalked the moving bag.  
  
''That was....'' Dinah mumbled.  
  
''An ingenious idea?'' Alfred suggested, giving Dinah the bag of poptarts.  
  
"Want it? Come here." Dinah showed Huntress the wheel chair. The brunette sat in it and Dinah gave her the pop tarts. ''You are a genius, Alfred''  
  
''I know.''  
  
Dinah maneuvered the chair toward the bedroom while Huntress happily opened the bag.

* * *

_**It was odd, Helena was more friendly to me in feral mode than as a normal person. I suppose she knew inside that I'm not a bad person, but she couldn't accept that she had had commited a mistake. In this state she was natural. But regardless, it wasn't a good thing, we needed to find an antidote to help her. I kept working with Barbara; she maintained control, that is hard when one of the people that you love is affected. As I said, she is amazing.**_

* * *

"Yes, she is all right. Don't worry." Barbara was talking by phone with Reese without stopping her work on testing the contaminated water. "I´m working on an antidote. I hope to find it soon. It's too late for you, why don't you go and rest and you can come see her tomorrow? It was a hard day for all... yes... all right... thanks, bye...." Barbara hung up the phone and continued her work in the lab. "That was Helena's boyfriend," she explained to Diana.  
  
"The detective?"  
  
"Yes, he is a nice guy... and very patient with her, I admire him.."  
  
Diana laughed.  
  
"No, it's true, you know her. She's a great girl, but she closed her heart. I admire him because he was able to do the impossible: make her accept that she can give and receive love."  
  
"He always helps you?"  
  
"Yes, well, since he is close to Helena. Now I warned him, the police have installed some devices to test that the water is clean. Now that we blocked Circe, I think that she will try something else."  
  
"Yes... and we need figure out what that could be."  
  
"And Helena? How is she?" Diana asked.  
  
"The potion affected her meta side, overwhelming it in a strange way," Barbara explained. "The hisses and the growls coming from her chest are new... she's never had those before. She's had small physical changes: her sense of smell, her vocal chords and her eyes as you can see. Her strength improved and her rate of recovery is faster than ever. The overwhelming of her meta side has brought her primal feline instincts to the surface, blocking her reason. It has not blocked her motor functions, like walking."  
  
Diana took a deep breath. "This is weird."  
  
Barbara looked again in the microscope. "Yes, we need to find an antidote soon."  
  
"We have a problem," Dinah said walking inside the lab.  
  
"What is she doing now?" Barbara sighed.  
  
"I took her to my room and she didn't like it, she moved to your room. So I moved her again to my room but she went back to your room."  
  
Barbara raised her head and looked at the blonde. "She can't be in my room and she shouldn't be walking, her leg is hurt. Why didn't you stop her?"  
  
"I tried, but she tried to bite and scratch me when I tried to take her out of your room again and there aren't any more poptarts."  
  
''Poptarts?'' Barbara asked, moving her head back.  
  
''It's the only way to move her. She follows them.''  
  
Barbara sighed stopped her research; "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said to Diana.  
  
"Okay, I'll start the test while you are gone," the princess answered.

* * *

Helena had her head inside the closet. She could smell her everywhere in that room, but especially inside the big closet, and it seemed like a nice and warm place to sleep. The clothes made it soft, she just needed an space there. She began to throw some hangers, jeans and some itchy blouses to the floor.  
  
The redhead, master of order and plans almost passed out when she saw Helena Kyle sitting in a corner on her blouses, all her clothes were out of the closet, spread over the floor. The brunette had her head inside the closet.  
  
"Oh no!" Barbara exclaimed. "My clothes!! Helena!!"  
  
Helena hissed. They wanted that place? She had seen it first!  
  
Dinah rested her back on the door frame and raised her brow. "See? She is not friendly.''  
  
"Dammit, Helena!" Barbara wheeled toward her. "What the hell...?"  
  
The brunette was intimidated by the woman; she was making her move out of the closet. She didn't like it, but her instincts forced her to do as the alpha female ordered. She curled up on the bed without taking her gaze off the redhead who had stolen her place.  
  
Barbara, pissed, began to pick up her clothes. Dinah kneeled next to her to help.  
  
Helena twitched her nose, she smelled something. She moved her head around looking for it. She moved off the bed and walked outside. She walked slowly and the smell took her to a room; she recognized the smell, it was hers. She walked around smelling, yes, that was her place. She smelled another scent there, there was another big thing -the closet- like in the other room. And that strange scent came from there.  
  
She opened the door and looked clothes, she smelled it. It wasn't her, she began to throw clothes to the floor. The place was perfect to sleep, dark and warm, but those things weren't from her. She moved it outside the room and went back to the closet.  
  
Alfred was walking dowm the corridor and saw the clothes on the floor. The door to Diana's room was open. He walked in and saw Helena inside the closet.  
  
"Miss Helena, what are you doing?" He went to her.  
  
She raised her head and saw the old man in front of her... Did he want that place too? She turned and moved a pair of red boots out of the closet, dropping them next to Alfred.  
  
"Miss Helena, what are you doing? This is Miss Diana's room."  
  
She ignored him and tried to find a comfortable position to sleep.  
  
"Miss Helena, please. This is not right! Miss Barbara would be annoyed if she saw all this!" He began to pick up the clothes on the floor; he put them on the bed and went toward her. "And this is not a place to sleep, the bed is best."  
  
He was talking and talking and talking. She curled up when he was in front of her again extending his arm to her. He definitely wanted her out of there. She didn't want to move, that was her place and maybe he didn't know it. But he was gentle, maybe she would convince him. She looked at him with puppy eyes.  
  
"Miss Helena, no! This is unacceptable!" She purred and rubbed her head against his hand. "No, no, you are not going to convince me."

* * *

It took Barbara and Dinah quite a while fix the disaster in the redhead's room. The older woman suddenly turned and looked for Helena, she had gone again.  
  
"Oh God..." she mumbled.  
  
Alfred knocked on the open door.  
  
"Did you see her?" Barbara asked, wheeling toward him.  
  
"Miss Helena? In her old room."  
  
"In her room?" Barbara sighed. "What is she doing there?"  
  
"I came here to tell you... She took all Miss Diana's clothes from the closet. I was walking by the corridor and I saw her entire wardrobe outside her room and when I opened the door I saw Miss Helena... inside the closet..."  
  
"Oh shit." Barbara rubbed her temples. "She is making me crazy."  
  
"Seems as if she recognized her own scent in that room. Remember it was her room." Alfred pointed out. "I picked up Miss Diana's clothes."  
  
"Did you move her out of there?"  
  
"I tried, but I couldn't..."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well, she can be very persuasive."  
  
"Barbara, give my room to Diana," the teen said. "I'll sleep on the couch in Helena's room to keep an eye on her."  
  
"No! She is going to listen to me." Barbara wheeled outside the room, furious. She went to Helena's room and saw her moving inside the closet. She stopped in front of it.  
  
"Helena, get out of there!" she yelled.  
  
The brunette opened an eye, she was trying to sleep. First the old man, and now the redhead was yelling at her. Why? She just wanted to be in her place. She felt the woman taking her arm; the situation began to bother her.  
  
"Come on, Helena, get out of there!" Barbara said. "You can't sleep there! It's a closet!"  
  
Helena refused to move in the beginning, but finally she moved out growling angrily.  
  
"Don't "growl" at me!" Barbara said. "You're going to sleep in Dinah's room."  
  
Helena felt she had given the redhead the other place and didn't understand why she wanted this one too. She was pissed again. She jumped over the bed and crouched in the opposite corner of the room. If she wanted the closet, it was hers, she would be in a corner. That was her place, she could smell it. She watched her, afraid.  
  
"Helena, please!" her mentor sighed, noticing her looking like a scolded puppy.  
  
"Barbara," Dinah had been watching her from the door and walked toward her. "Helena thinks this is her room; I'm sure she can smell herself here. Why we don't leave her here and Diana can move to my room? I'm sure she will understand. I'll sleep here on the couch to keep an eye on her."  
  
"Yes," Barbara resigned. "I think that will be best. Alfred, please put Diana's clothes in Dinah's room, I'll tell the princess." She wheeled outside the room.  
  
"Yes, Miss Barbara."  
  
"I'll be right back." Barbara turned her wheelchair.  
  
Dinah walked towards Helena and crouched at her side. "Okay, you can stay here. But the closet is not the right place to sleep. The bed is soft."  
  
The brunette lowered her head. Now, the blonde wanted to move her from her corner too. She was sad. She wasn't bothering anyone there. She mewled as Dinah took her hand and pulled gently.  
  
"Come on, Helena." Dinah said, and with her other hand she moved the blankets and patted the mattress. "Come here, up."  
  
Helena understood the sign and climbed on the bed crouching there without knowing exactly why. Dinah sat there too and forced her to sit.  
  
"This is a much better place to sleep." The blond jumped and put her head on the pillow "See? Come on."  
  
Alfred smiled and walked out of the room.  
  
Helena moved and touched the mattress, it was soft. She tilted her head back like the blond girl. She fixed her eyes on her, at least she didn't yell and was being nice, she didn't want to move her out of the room.  
  
"Better?" Dinah covered her with the blankets.  
  
Helena moved to the side and looked at her.  
  
Dinah felt the weight of her now orange eyes. She smiled. She always had felt admiration for her friend. "You will be okay, I'm sure Barbara will help you and bring back the stubborn and obstinate Huntress." Dinah put her hand on the back of Helena's head and began to stroke her hair. "I read that cats like this." Dinah noticed the chest of her friend vibrating with a low purr. Her eyes began to close slowly.  
  
Helena relaxed under the touch of the hand on her head and she was tired, very tired. In a few minutes, she fell asleep. 


	9. Heat

**Why was babara in such a bad mood and dinah was in a good mood?** becouse Barbara feels frustrated, she always keep the control of the situation but in this case she can't.

Helena is not in a whel chair, Dinah used it the first time to move it to her room, but she give small jumps, is hopping from a place to another becouse of her hurt ankle.

Thanks for your post, i hope this solve your doubts.

----------  
  
**_Well, the next person that I met was a friend of the "family", Jesse Reese, a handsome cop that is Helena's boyfriend. He was very nice and a man that dressed very well. Our first meeting was after a small "round" with Helena that Barbara and I had. I can't deny he is a really gentleman, but I still laugh remembering that day, it really was too funny. Maybe not to Barbara, but the truth is that it was...  
_**  
------  
  
Next day, morning.  
  
Reese tapped his foot nervously, waiting for the elevator to arrive at the top of the Clock Tower. He wanted to see Helena. The elevator stopped a floor below the Clock Tower; where Barbara Gordon's apartment was located. The door opened and he was surprised to see the redhead soaked in the living room of her apartment and a tall woman with her, also soaked, with a towel around her neck.  
  
"Barbara?" he asked.  
  
"Reese, good morning."  
  
"Good morning," he said amazed by the beauty of the woman.  
  
"Oh Reese, let me introduce you, this is Diana, Diana Prince."  
  
"Nice to meet you." The amazon smiled. "Barbara had told me so much about you."  
  
"Good, I hope. Nice to meet you too... Have I seen you before..." he tried to remember.  
  
"Maybe, I'm the ambassador of Themyscira."  
  
He gulped. "Wonder Woman?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Wow..." he couldn't avoid a big smile "This is great!"  
  
"She is an old friend." Barbara smiled looking at his face "I'll ask you to keep the secret."  
  
"Sure, of course." He looked at both women "What happened to you? You are..."  
  
"Helena." Barbara sighed. "We were trying to give her a bath; Wonder Woman can interact with her thanks to a special ability that she has, but, in this case, it didn't work."  
  
"So?"  
  
"The bathroom was a WWF ring, but we were finally able to manage her." She wrinkled her nose at him, grinning. "Cats don't like water."  
  
Reese couldn't avoid a laugh. "And could you....?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Dinah walked in, dripping wet, and raised the golden lasso of Wonder Woman. "Thanks to this." She gave it to the amazon. "Here is, I dried it.."  
  
"Thanks, Dinah." Diana took it.  
  
"I... don't understand..." Reese looked at them.  
  
"Helena was winning the match and Dinah remembered the power of the golden lasso, it forces you to do whatever the person that holds it asks you. She ran for it and Diana used it on Helena. But by the time she returned, she had flooded the entire bathroom and soaked us."  
  
"This seems to be bad," Reese said.  
  
"I hope to find the antidote soon," Barbara explained. "I think that the effect of the potion is temporary, but the sooner as I can get Helena back to her senses, the better."  
  
"May I see her?"  
  
"Yes... I just finished dressing her." Dinah said. "I took your grey pants, Barbara; come with me."  
  
"All right. I'll ask Alfred for her breakfast," Barbara said.  
  
"Okay." Dinah took Reese toward the bedroom.  
  
Dinah had kept Helena quiet turning on the TV to the Lion King, she watched the images, fascinated. Dinah opened the door and the brunette didn't move from her seat on the floor. Dinah took a comb to brush her hair and sat on the bed behind her.  
  
The brunette moved her head glaring to the blond girl. That water thing hadn't been funny, now what was next?  
  
"Helena, you have visiter and you must be presentable." Dinah pointed out without stopping her task of brushing her hair. She ignored the brunette when she tried to bite the comb.  
  
Helena gave a low growl in protest, but finally turned her head to watch the television.  
  
"Yea, yea, whatever you said." Dinah sighed.  
  
Reese smiled.  
  
Dinah finished brushing her friend's hair "See?" she said to her "You look much better now. I'll back in a few, I'm going to get your breakfast; Reese will stay here with you." Dinah stood up and exited the room, winking at Reese.  
  
He kneeled next to her. "Hey, baby." She turned her head and looked at him a few seconds. Her eyes still were odd, but he didn't see the fear and the disconcertedness like yesterday. Her eyes turned back to the television.  
  
He sat next to her and began to brush her hair with his fingers; he felt sadness to see her that way. She moved toward him resting her head on his chest. He noticed the sling on her ankle. "Hey, I see you had an accident." He kissed her forehead.  
  
She moved again and looked at him. He reached his hand to Helena's cheek and stroked lightly with his thumb. She leaned her head on his palm at his touch. He loved the woman so much, he never thought he could fall in love so deep with someone, and less with the stubborn and dangerous crime fighter that he had met in the most unexpected place: a crime scene.  
  
He bent down and brushed her lips lightly. He felt so happy to have her again between his arms. The kiss deepened. Lips parted. Helena answered with a shudder. Reese felt it against her cheek, along her spine. After long seconds, he moved back and smiled brushing her lips with his thumb. "I love you."  
  
Helena moved to capture those soft lips again. She liked that; she liked him. She recognized him as her mate. Reese fell slowly back with her over him. Helena slid her lips to the side and kissed along Reese's jaw and up to her ear. "Helena..." Reese mumbled but she continued. Their mouths became a passionate fusion of lips as the kissing became more ardent. She bent down again and kissed again his jaw to his ear and sucked in the fleshy lobe and bit down roughly.  
  
"Hey!" he jumped. "Easy... "  
  
She sat over him and answered by kissing him again like she was never going to release him. She wanted him. He felt her hands moving under his shirt and touching his bare skin. He shivered with the contact, she was being too aggressive and in other circumstances he would love that, but in this wasn't a good moment. He moved his head back to breathe.  
  
"Wow... that was... but we need to stop." Reese laughed nervously and tried to sit again but she held him down and their lips joined again. The contact of her hands over his chest was turning him crazy. She had opened his shirt. "Helena," he said breathlessly, "I think... that this is not the moment..." He didn't want to take advantage of the situation and this wasn't the right place. He needed to stop her.  
  
"Helena, I think that we must stop... this is not correct." The brunette moved forward and placed her head in the nook of the man's neck and right shoulder; she moved closer to smell his scent, her purring turned louder and she began rubbing her body against him.  
  
He knew was in trouble. He gasped for air. She looked for his lips again but he stopped her with her hands. "Helena, stop, stop," he tried to move but she was strong. She buried her head on his neck and bit his neck harder, growling.  
  
"Ouch!" Reese almost pushed her back and sat on the floor "Are you one of those that likes to mark their boyfriend?"  
  
Hhe tried to close his shirt and to take her hands off him, but she refused to stop. "Helena, we..." she closed his mouth again with a rough, demanding kiss.  
  
"Hey, hey.. what is happening here?" Dinah quetioned, walking in with a tray of food on her hands.  
  
"Dinah help me..." Reese said blushing with Helena still purring over him. "I think, sorry... was my fault."  
  
Dinah couldn't avoid laughing. She shook her head and walked toward them. She took the brunette's arm. "Helena stand up." The brunette hissed in annoyance and threw a punch at her. Dinah stepped back. "Come on Helena, Barbara would be angry; this is not your honeymoon."  
  
Reese took the opportunity to move back and stood up trying to close his shirt, ashamed. "Helena, this is not right."  
  
Helena growled again. She tried to crawl toward him but he stopped her with his hands. "No, no, Helena, calm down."  
  
Dinah was enjoying the show. "She is very stubborn, no?"  
  
"Helena, it's lunch time." Reese gulped showing her the tray with food. She growled in disagreement and crawled toward the corner of the room.  
  
"I guess she wanted you for breakfast." Dinah laughed.  
  
"That's not funny," he said, closing the buttons of his shirt.  
  
"Helena want breakfast?." Dinah asked the brunette.  
  
Helena answered with a growl of disapproval on the opposite side of the room grabbing her legs.  
  
"I better go," Reese said, putting his shirt inside his pants.  
  
"I agree...." Dinah laughed again and taking a pop tart she walked toward Helena. "Hey come on, you like this ones."  
  
Helena moved her head away.  
  
"You are really pissed, eh?" Dinah asked.

* * *

"You're leaving, Reese? Don't you want breakfast?" Barbara and Diana were eating in the dining room.  
  
"No, no... thanks, " he muttered nervously arranging his necktie. "I... I... need to go... I, I have an emergency... thanks so much."  
  
Barbara narrowed her eyes "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yes, thanks."  
  
The elevator door opened and he walked in. Barbara watched him go and thought it was strange behavior for him.  
  
"Cute guy." Diana said.  
  
"Yes." Barbara just raised her brow and continued her breakfast. A few minutes later she raised her coffee mug, reading the paper, the amazon was doing the same at the other side of the dining table. Dinah walked in and sat on a chair crossing her arms over the table.  
  
"Did she eat her breakfast?" Barbara asked, distractedly.  
  
"No..." the teen said, taking a bowl.  
  
"No?"  
  
"Eh... well..." Dinah stopped her motion of pouring the fruit loops. "We have a problem..."  
  
Barbara closed her eyes and lowered the newspaper. "Damn... now what?"  
  
"Er... welll... she is pretty hot."  
  
Diana spit her coffee over the table.  
  
"What???" Barbara exclaimed.  
  
"She is pretty hot. When I went to her room she was all over Reese... he was really scared." Dinah put the Fruit Loops in her bowl. Barbara and Diana stared at her with eyes wide open.  
  
"I can't believe it," Barbara said shocked.  
  
"Believe it. I guess she recognized him as her mate... and..." Dinah avoided their looks and poured the milk on her cereal. "Well, you know what mates do."  
  
Barbara covered her eyes with her hands "This is embarassing!!."  
  
"Now she is pissed because I stopped her and he ran away; she is in a corner, angry. She didn't want to eat the pop tarts either." Dinah put a spoonful of milk and fruit loops in her mouth. "And that is serious; she will be in a bad mood all day."  
  
"Don't talk with your mouth full of food," Barbara scolded.  
  
"Sorry." The teen covered her mouth with her hand.  
  
Diana couldn't hold her laughter anymore and started cracking up. Barbara glared at her. The amazon took her hand to her mouth. "Sorry, Barbara... I shouldn't laugh... but this is so funny..."  
  
Dinah began to giggle too. "Yea,... you should have seen his face... I've never seen him so scared... she had ripped off his shirt..."  
  
Diana was crying laughing. "Sorry...sorry," she said to the red head.  
  
Barbara watch them laugh without stopping and after a few seconds she followed them in their laugh.

* * *

_**It was funny... he, he, sorry...**_


	10. Can you see me?

"Helena, come here!" Barbara shouted as she looked around. "Helena, this is the last time that I'm going to call you!"  
  
She heard Alfred behind her and turned. "Alfred, have you seen her?"  
  
"She is with Miss Diana untying knots with her lasso in the balcony. I already told her that you are looking for her."  
  
"I need do some tests on her."  
  
"Do you think she will get back to normal?"  
  
"Yes, but I need to know exactly how much the potion affected her and her senses: We know that her strength increased, that she acts like a cat, she purrs and makes strange sounds from her chest that a normal human being can't. Her memory was overwhelmed, although not totally because she recognized us and she turned very friendly."   
  
"Yes, that is the strangest part," he joked and winked at her.  
  
"True." Barbara smiled and heard Diana entering to the infirmary from the balcony with Helena playing with her golden lasso. "Hey, you two having fun?"  
  
"She is doing it well." The princess smiled.  
  
"I'm glad she don't know how to use it." Barbara raised her brow looking the golden lasso.  
  
"She would make us give her poptarts all day." Alfred chuckled and went to the elevator.  
  
"Come here big girl, I need to do some tests on you." Barbara patted the special chair where she could examin her brain. Helena moved and sat there trying to undo a knot on the lasso.  
  
Diana crossed her arms and looked at them. "What do you think?"  
  
"I don't know yet what I'm looking for." The red head looked at Helena. "Diana, how much do you think she can understand?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"How much do you think she can understand us, when we talk to her?."  
  
"Well... I'm not sure. You'll have to try and see."  
  
Barbara sighed. "Okay." She took the lasso from the brunette. The girl protested with a soft mewl. "Helena, I need do some test on you, don't move." She put the helmet down over the brunette's head. She stopped playing and growled. "Don't worry, it's just a few seconds. Diana, help me here."  
  
The amazon stood up next to Helena, who looked around the glass. Barbara wheeled toward her computer and turned on the scanner. Helena jumped slightly on the chair and Diana touched her hand. "Don't worry…"  
  
The girl began to watch the light moving from side to side and tried to catch it. After a few seconds it turned off. The helmet moved up.  
  
"That's all Helena." Barbara said.  
  
"See? You can go now." The princess touched her shoulder. She moved down and went over to the desk next to Barbara, sitting on it.  
  
"That is a bad habit that she has when she's in possession of her senses too." The redhead sighed.  
  
"What do you have?" Diana asked.  
  
"I analyzed her blood; her meta cells increased by 130%, she normally is 50 - 50%; so she was overwhelmed by her meta side and it has had consequences… look at this image of her thorax."  
  
The princess examined the image on the screen. "It's bigger…"  
  
"And I detected changes in her vocal chords, too… And in her brain. Her frontal lobe where cognition and memory reside… the ability to concentrate and understand, elaboration of thought and the area of motor speech have diminished by 65 %. As has her temporal lobe: that is the auditory reception and association area and where you can express behavior, it also controls receptive speech and the retrieval of memory."  
  
"That sounds bad. It produces severe injury: Inability to recognize self. Disorientation of environmental space and the inability to write," Diana read from the screen.

"Yes, and her limbic system, the olfactory pathways: Amygdala, Hippocampi and limbic lobes that control : Sex, rage, fear; emotional response increased… by 95%..." Barbara moved back worried. "Agitation, loss of control of emotion. Loss of recent memory." Diana rubbed Helena's back who was watching the moving images on the screen. "We need to reverse that." "Yes, we need to work on it." Helena growled playfully at Barbara and moved off the table. She crouched at her side. The redhead smiled at her. "Not now Helena, we need to work." Helena growled again and rested her head on the arm of the chair. "Not now… Alfred! Could you please take care of Helena a minute? We need to work." "Of course, Miss Barbara," the butler said, from the second level. 

"Go on, Helena." Barbara helped her to stand up and pushed her as she pointed at Alfred. "Go with him, I don't have time now," she ordered gently, eliciting a mewl of disapproval, but the girl acquiesced.

* * *

Barbara kept working in the lab. Dinah was studying with Gabby and Wonder Woman was investigating more clues. Barbara was trying to find an antidote and trying to guess the next movement of Circe. She was taking her time and that didn't mean anything good. She had changed the codes of all the exits to prevent the brunette from running away. She heard Alfred talking to Helena in the kitchen. She turned her head back and saw them both there. She kept working; she knew Alfred was very smart and he could manage the girl very well.  
  
"Miss Helena, that is dangerous." Alfred raised his brow, Helena sat on a chair in the kitchen. He was cutting slices of meat and she was trying to sniff it. Everything in the place smelled very good. There was food all over the table and she wanted a bit.   
  
He finally tired, cut a small slice of raw meat and put it on the table next to her; he stopped watching her reaction. She smelled it and put it in her mouth. A few seconds later she hissed and spit it out onto the table.  
  
"That was not polite." He smiled "But it was a good lesson."  
  
She growled in protest at him. That had tasted terrible. He put the meal in a pot while she kept smelling the groceries on the table. Alfred opened a chili bottle and put a drop on his hand to taste it. He went to the stove and looked for some matches. Helena took the bottle and dumped some on the table, licking it. In the lab, Barbara heard a loud growl and the sound of a bottle breaking against the floor. She looked up. "What happened, Alfred?" she asked. Helena was groaning, moving her head and flicking her tongue around like crazy. Alfred looked down and saw the bottle shattered. He sighed and took a glass and a large jar and filled both with water. "Curiosity killed the cat." He went to the girl and gave the glass to her. "Drink this." Helena looking him with her tongue hanging out of her mouth looked at both containers, and took the big one, the jar. She stuck her tongue in it and drank it. "Yes… not so much polite." Alfred smiled. "What is happening, Alfred? Barbara's voice was heard again. "Miss Helena had learn to not eat chili sauce. Don't worry, Miss Barbara," he responded, watching in amazement at how she emptied the jar of water. Helena growled, still feeling her mouth burning. "I hope this teaches you to keep your nose out of my food. Take this." He showed her a bag with pop tarts. She took it and stood up; he saw her hopping out of the kitchen. She was funny and yet still had a lot of her normal charm. 

* * *

Barbara typed at the keyboard; suddenly, she heard the noise of a plastic bag ripping behins her back. She turned her head and saw Helena sitting on the floor, munching a poptart. She sighed, at less she was quiet. Dinah usually kept her distracted, but now she was with Gabby. A few minutes later, Helena kneeled next to her and rested her head on her arm. 

"Not now, Hel.." Barbara said, raising a test tube.

Helena felt the redhead never had time for her. She spent all day working there. She bit her hand gently to get her attention.

Barbara smiled and brushed her hair. "Helena, I need to work on an antidote, I can't play with you now. I need you back to normal."

She mewled sadly, but Barbara kept working. Helena was annoyed, she growled loud in disgust at her.

"Yes, yes…" Babara said, distractedly. "Later…"

Barbara's chair suddenly moved back and she almost dropped the test tubes. The chair hit her back against one of the desks and some tubes fell to the floor. Helena had pressed one of the buttons on the arm of her chair. Barbara could almost see a grin on the girl's face. "That was not nice Helena!" she said, angrily.

Helena meowed again.

"No, young lady! I need to work!" Barbara scolded her. "I can't play now! Go to your room, now!"

Helena took one of the test tubes that had fallen to the floor and hopped outside the lab. Barbara realized it was the antidote that she had been working on. "Dammit, Helena, no!!!"

Helena jumped over the rail and sat there looking down and playing with the test tube.

"Give me that!!" Barbara shouted from the lower floor "If you break that you are in serious trouble. Alfred!! Come here!!"

The old man turned and saw Helena crouched over the rail in the living room on the upper floor.

"She has the test tube with the potion!" Barbara said.

"Uh..oh.." Alfred walked toward the girl but she jumped easily to the other side of the rail where Barbara's desk was.

"Damn, Helena!" the red head yelled. "Your ankle is sprained! Be careful!! Don't throw that tube or I'll kill you!"

Diana walked in, she noticed the confusion inside the place. "Hey, what is happening?"

"Damn," Barbara said, exasperated. "Helena wants to play and she stole the antidote that I'm testing."

Helena looked down at both women, she had finally managed to get the redhead's attention. Maybe she'd understand that she wanted be with her. She saw the other tall woman, maybe she wanted to play too.

"Let me try…" Diana walked toward the brunette, and looked up. "Hey… how are you?" Diana said smiling at her. "I see you have been busy." Wonder Woman jumped to the second floor a few meters from Helena.

Helena jumped toward the mechanism of the clock and she sat on the top giving a playful growl.

"She thinks you are playing," Barbara said to Diana.

"Yes, I see." The amazon stood up on the trail. "Helena, give me that test tube and then we can play."

The brunette watched her without moving.

"Give me that… and we can play."

The brunette jumped toward the rail next to the kitchen.

"Impressive," Alfred muttered.

"Yes…" Barbara said.

Wonder Woman flew quickly toward her, stopping in mid-air. "I'm not going to play more, if you don't give me that," Diana said. "You will hurt your ankle."

Helena looked down trying to figure out where she was standing up. She stared at her up and down, confused. She moved carefully and tried to step on the air too.

"No!" Diana said, to avoid an accident and prevent the tube from breaking.

The brunette jumped to the lower floor and tried to run, but Diana blocked her way. She crouched and growled playfully again.

"I won't play if you don't give me that. Come on…" Diana pointed at the test tube.

The brunette looked at it and pouted. She didn't like that the woman's tone of voice wasn't friendly, she didn't want play. Barbara wheeled toward her, as well.

"Give it to me. " Diana kneeled in front of her. Helena lowered her head and looked the test tube. Diana held the girl's hand softly. "Please, give it to me, Hel."

The girl refused to open her hand. "Come on Hel… give it to me," she said in her sweetest voice.

Annoyed, the girl opened her hand and moved back against the wall. She was bored and upset. The redhead never had time for her.

Barbara stopped behind Diana.

"It's okay, I got it.," the princess said, giving the tube to Barbara.

She sighed in relief, looking at her protégé, she seemed very sad. She wheeled toward her. "Hel… We can't play now…"

The brunette avoided her look and turned her head. She didn't understand why she always rejected her.

"We need to work," Barbara said to her.

"Maybe I can give her a few minutes." Diana took the girl's chin and raised it with her hand. "We can play."

Helena looked at Barbara and lowered her head, she just wanted to play with her and now she was angry again; it was always the same.

"Came on, let's go," the amazon said softly, taking her hand.

The brunette refused to move.

The amazon looked at the red head. "Maybe she thinks you are angry because she took the test tube."

"I'm not mad…" Barbara said.

"Did you hear Barbara?" Diana asked, trying to make Helena raise her head "She is not mad with you, she just wanted the test tube."

"Helena," Barbara explained, "I'm not mad with you but I can't play."

Helena growled and moved her head to the other side.

Diana took her hand. "Come on, let me show you that Barbara is not mad with you."

Helena refused to move again.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? You don't want go see her?"

Helena growled. Diana observed her in silence a few seconds. Helena was avoiding Barbara's gaze. Diana figured out that Helena was mad because Barbara didn't pay attention to her.

"Okay, okay…" Diana smiled at her "Why we don't go to your room? We can play now."

Helena meowed softly and raised her eyes to her. The woman was being warm and friendly.

"Yes." Diana laughed. "We can play now. Want to come?" Helena suddenly threw her arms around Diana, purring and rested her head on her shoulder.

Barbara tried to meet Helena's eyes again, but the girl moved her head again to avoid her. She sighed. Seemed as if Helena was annoyed with her.

"It's okay…" Diana rubbed Helena's back. "Let's go to your room while Barbara works, right?"

"Thanks, Diana." Barbara said.

"No problem, I'll be right back in a few," the amazon responded.

Barbara wheeled back and went toward the lab.

"What is happening to her?." Alfred asked joining the redhead in the lab.

"She is always unsociable… the drug affected her… seems as if when she's feral, the anger is gone, and she's very affectionate towards us and wants attention all day now… I need to stop this nightmare."

"It is a nightmare that she wants love?" he asked.

Barbara blinked. "No… it's not that Alfred, you know it."

"She needs you now, she is just asking for attention. Maybe it's a good moment to try to give it to her."

Barbara sighed. "Yes… oh… but I need to finish this to help her."

"I understand that, but maybe taking a few minutes for her will be good."

Barbara smiled. "As always, you are right. Okay, I'll go to see her."


	11. Helena at home

Barbara wheeled inside Helena's room where she was at the floor with Diana. The princess was entertaining her with her magic lasso making her undo knots. It was strange listen her giggling, which sounded more like a staccato purr than anything else. Barbara watched them in silence a few seconds. It reminded her of the early years when Helena played with her mother. Maybe her eyes were transformed, but they no longer reflected the rage and anger. Her eyes reflected an innocent kid, but she was a lethal weapon.  
  
Diana heard her wheel in. She smiled at Barbara. "She is okay just... just..."  
  
"She is angry."  
  
"I think so... She thinks you don't pay attention to her: She feels alone..."  
  
"Maybe it's true," Barbara rested her back on her chair watching Helena who kept playing with the lasso not paying attention to her. "I have been working almost all day trying to find a cure for her."  
  
"But she is still her..." Diana said "Maybe you forgot that she needs you now too, not just trying to find the cure."  
  
"You are right." The red head paused. "But... how I can make her know that I care for her if she is not herself...?"  
  
"She is herself, she recognized you immediately. She follows you all day and you reject her:"  
  
Barbara took a deep breath.  
  
"Try it, I'm sure she will understand." Diana stood up. Helena growled in disapointment. "I'll back." Diana said, tapping her head. She walked outside the room. "I'll be in the lab."  
  
Barbara watched Helena who kept playing with the lasso trying to undo a knot.  
  
"Helena... I have a lot of work, but I'm working for you..." The girl kept playing without paying attention to her. Barbara sighed and looked at the door. She didn't know what to do. She maneuvered herself to the floor and sat near her protégé. "Helena, I'm sorry, but... I needed, I need work on this, the city is in danger and you..."  
  
Helena grumbled and moved the lasso trying to untie the knot. Barbara watched her in silence. "I wish you would listen to me," she whispered.  
  
Helena bit the lasso.  
  
"Hey, hey, no." Barbara took her hands. "Let me help you." Helena growled, still angry with her; but the movement of her mentor's hands over her working on the knot kept her attention. After a few seconds the knot was undone.  
  
"See?" Barbara said. "It was easy. Want to try again?" She did another knot and gave it to her.  
  
Helena tried to undo it unsuccesfuly and growled frustrated, again biting at the rope.  
  
"No, no." Barbara smiled. "You are doing it wrong again." She took her hands. "Watch it..."  
  
They kept the play for long minutes. Finally, when the girl could unlock the knot alone. She looked at the redhead with her orange irises.  
  
"Yes, you did it!" Barbara laughed and brushed her hair. "You did it."  
  
Helena leaned toward her and Barbara hugged her. It was strange; they usually never talked about how important they were to each other, but at the same time she understood that sometimes it was important to open their hearts regardless of the moment.  
  
She felt Helena purring in her arms. She thought Alfred and Diana were right. She understood that maybe Helena couldn't think and act straight, but it didn't dimish her capability to feel, love and be loved. She needed love in that moment. She had been asking for it and Barbara hadn't understood her.

* * *

_**Helena just wanted love. It had been in front of Barbara the entire time and she didn't see it. Maybe because they were never emotional with each other. Both are cold, to say it in a way, they are the kind of people that don't hug each other or say "I need you, I love you", but inside they feel a great love for each other.  
  
I'm warmer, I like to hug my sisters and mother, I like to tell them "I missed you", well, in Paradise Island you can breathe love everywhere. I grew up in a marvelous place blessed by gods. Barbara and Helena's lives were very far from a place like Themyscira. They were circled by violence, murder, and blood. They hadn't chosen that world to live in, they had born there. And I... I had chosen her world to live, for love, to help people and make them understand that it's possible to live in a better world.**_

* * *

Helena followed with her gaze the movements of Dinah's hand over the notebook. Dinah was doing her homework at the living room and Helena was sat o the floor next to her with her head resting on her arms looking what she was doing.  
  
After a few seconds she did some soft gutural noises with her throat and trid to take the pen. Dinah moved her hand. "No, Im working."  
  
Helena did again her strange sounds.  
  
"Whatever you said." She raised her head and looked her mentor who was working at Delphi's "Barbara, why she can't talk?"  
  
"Why do you want she talking? We barely could stand her with out talk." Barbara answered looking distracley again her monitor.  
  
"No, I'm asking serious."  
  
Helena tried to take again her pen and Dinah moved her hand again. The teen looked in hr bag and gave her a felt-tip pen and a white paper. "Take this and keep quiet." She stood up next to the trail.  
  
"Well," Barbara explained down stairs "The potion didn't transformed her as I said to you. But overwhelmed her meta cells. Her body had some changes physically and mentally; one of this it's her vocal chords in one hand and in other hand she don't remember she can talk."  
  
"But she understand us..."  
  
"I don't know if she understand us or is the tone, the way as we say the words." Barbara looked up "The tone would make her feel accepted, scolded... just as dogs do.."  
  
"Why am I guessing that Helena won't like that comparison?" Dinah asked with a laugh.  
  
"Because you know her," Barbara smirked. "And I think we'll keep it between us."  
  
"Yes... you are right. Im intrigued, she is not aggressive... why?"  
  
Barbara kept silence a few second "Becouse Helena wasn't. Was after her mother's murder that the fury began to control her feelings. And cat's usually aren't aggressive until they try to defend or protect itselves. She feels secure here, not feel danger."  
  
"Great, we have now our own cat pet." Dinah sighed and looked Helena again, she open wide her eyes and ran to took the felt-tip pen, she was scrawling the wooden floor with it. She tried to take the pen but the brunette growled in protest moving back. Dinah held her hands between hers and said in low voice.  
  
"Are you crazy? Are you trying that she kill us???"  
  
Helena answered with most gutural sounds and pulling her hands.  
  
"Helena give me the damn pen before Barbara hang me of a the clock and make a carpet wth your skin."  
  
"Urghh?" Helena looked her with big eyes.  
  
"Carpet, do you understand?" Dinah pointed the carpet at the floor under the table and touched her skin "Barbara would do a carpet with your skin if we don't clean this mess now. Barbara..." she pointed the red head "Remember Barbara? Remember the bath?" she took a glass of water of the table "water?"  
  
Helena hissed.  
  
"Give me that stupid pen or Ill never will bath you again and Ill let her do it, and remember what happened then." Dinah put the pen over the table again.  
  
The brunette did most strange noises.  
  
"Yes, right, she giving you a bath."  
  
Helena gave her the pen and crawled toward the sofa. Dinah brushed her hair and looked the mess over the floor. She stood up and pointed Helena. "Don't move or when Ill back Ill clean the floor with your ass ."  
  
The brunette protested doing whimpering sounds. She looked the water, Barbara and later the wood floor. She jumped down and began to scratch the floor with her nails.  
  
Dinah walked in a few minutes later with a bucket, soap and a cloth. She almost cried when she saw her friend kneeled on the floor scratching it frenetically.  
  
"Helena!" she shouted. The young crime fighter jumped over the coach and when she saw her and hissed annoyed; she had scared her.  
  
"What's going on Dinah?" Barbara asked.  
  
"Nothing, she just spilled a glass of water but ill clean it now." The teen moved down and took the cloth and cleaned the wood surface. But her partner had damaged the varnish.  
  
"Dammit Helena, you screwed all. Now your bath with Barbara it's a fact."  
  
Helena continued doing sounds worried. She didn't like the idea of bath. The once that they had bath her hadn't been funny. After that Dinah had do it and she let her play and jump inside the tub. She looked the teen worried and meowed softly..  
  
"We need think in something." Dinah scratched her head.  
  
After a few minutes Alfred walked inside the living room and watched the furniture had been moved, the table was in other place. Dinah was picking her school bag and Helena was stood up next to her..  
  
"Miss Dinah?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, just was to keep Helena doing something, and looks better..."  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
"See you Alfred, came on Helena, let's go to watch TV." The teen grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her out. She just was praying that no one move the table that was covering the floor scratched.  
  
Diana had been working on the anthydote while Barbara was checking for new traces of Circe. After four days since her encounter with the Sourceness they didn't had any trace of her. Fight against a sourceness was something unusual in her crime fighter career; she had faced any kind of murders and criminals, simple burglars to Joker. But this one was something that she didn't know how to deal.  
  
"Circe seemed had dissapeared." Barbara wheeledo toward another monitor "What if she changer her plans and moved to another city?"  
  
"I don't think so, she knows Im here." Diana said "And now this problem turned personnal. She is planing a way to attack and trap me. She knows I can't kill her."  
  
"We don't kill... but... why do you say that?"  
  
"It's Hecate's curse: 'Upon the death of witch and birth of witch, Hecate, by name and choice shall reposseses her soul.'"  
  
"What?..."  
  
"It's a course... If I kill her, Im doomed to inheit Hecate's fould legacy." Diana lowered her head looking at the michroscope. "according with it Im the second witch. Killing her Hecate would repossessed me; my powers are incredible and throught me Hecate would be unstoppable."  
  
"You wasn't name by Hecate." Barbara went to her.  
  
The amazon raised her head. "I don't have choice. We were both born both whim of God, she is my reflection in a warped mirrow."  
  
"How are we going to stop her?"  
  
"If we can find the anthydote we can inmunize people and help Helena. And Ill try her trap her with my golden lasso."  
  
The red head looked her. "I never had fought against a sourcenness, do you know that? Why you called me? Maybe there are people with more experience than me."  
  
"You never has enough experience to fight against Gods, wizards and magic. No one is prepare for that. They are aways impredictable."  
  
"That's true; I hope that we could defeat her soon." Barbara sighed. She looked for the corner of her eye Dinah moving down stairs pulling Helena. She looked them  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked.  
  
"To watch Tv." Dinah frozed.  
  
"Did you finish your homework?"  
  
"Yes... just now, all done."  
  
"How is Helena going?"  
  
"Good, good... no problem." The teen bit her lips nervous.  
  
"Well... I can take care of her after I finish and you will take a bath."  
  
Helena recognized the last word and she hissed. She pushed Dinah and ran toward her room. Diana and Barbara looked her stunned and later Dinah. The teen just raised her shoulders and smiled nervous.  
  
"She is... she is nervous, you know it, Dinah said... I, I better go with her."  
  
Barbara frownered and looked her go.  
  
"What do you think that happened?" Diana asked.  
  
"I don't have an idea, and I prefer not know what would be."  
  
After a long day Dinah was sleeping on the coach. She suddenly felt Helena pushing her. "Mmm? What are you doing?" Dinah asked sleepy. The brunetter tried to climb on the coach. "Helena, we don't fit here, the coach is small, go to your bed!...Damn!..... okay okay." Dinah stood up and taking her pillow went to the bed "Stay there I'll go to the bed."  
  
Dinah put her self on the bed and coverd with the blankets. She closed her eyes again and a few seconds later she felt Helena on her back and her annoy purring. "No Hel! Please!" Dinah sighed exhasperated. She pushed her with her hands. "Stopt that!" Helena meowed "Whatever you said, the same for you. Now go to sleep, I have an examn tomorrow!!" she turned and covered her head with her pillow and close her eyes.  
  
Suddenly she felt a bite on her arm and she yelled. "Shit!!! Helena!!!"  
  
The brunette moved down the bed and hissed. Dinah turned on the lamp of her night table. "Why the hell cant you sleep as a normal person?"  
  
Helena meowed again.  
  
"Please Helena, I just want sleep, I can do it with you purring on my back. Go to sleep!" Dinah turned off the lights and covered again with the blankets.  
  
Dinah woke up next. She sleepy looked her eatch, six o'clock, she yawned and sat on the bed. She looked around looking for Helena but she wasn't there. "Uh, oh..." she stood up inmediately and began to call her in low voice. "Helena, where ae you?" the room was empty. "Came on Helena, I don't have time, I need go to school."  
  
Dinah began to look for her partner. She seemed had dissapeared. She went toward Clocktower and saw Barbara at Delphi's. That was strange, it was too early. She tried to step back slowly to avoid that she discovered her.  
  
"Did you lost something?" the red head asked.  
  
"Uhh... I? Well..." the blonde girl didn't know what to say and walked toward her.  
  
Barbara turned. She stop on her tracks. The red head had a face not friendly and she had big rings under her eyes.  
  
"Uh..uh..." Dinah muttered "Why... are you here... it's six on the morning...?"  
  
"Tell me." Barbara raised her brown "Could you sleep with a girl which purres on your back and her chest vibrates all night while she is hugging you?"  
  
"Oh Barbara... I, I... Im sorry, I fell asleep and I didn't..."  
  
"The damn bed vibrates with her purr all night!"the red head said annoyed.  
  
"Yes... I couldn't slept either."  
  
"It's not your fault Dinah, I couldn't sleep; so came here to work on the antydothe."  
  
"Ill help you when I back, I have examn I need go early."  
  
"Take the Hummer."  
  
"Okay" 


	12. Her night

After a long day, Dinah was sleeping on the couch. She suddenly felt Helena pushing her.  
  
"Mmm? What are you doing?" Dinah asked sleepily.  
  
The brunette tried to climb on the couch. "Helena, we don't fit here, the coach is small, go to your bed!...Damn!..... okay, okay." Dinah stood up and, taking her pillow, went to the bed. "Stay there. I'll go to the bed."  
  
Dinah situated herself on the bed and covered up with the blankets. She closed her eyes again and, a few seconds later, she felt Helena, and the annoying purring, at her back. "No, Hel! Please!" Dinah sighed, exasperated. She pushed the brunette with her hands. "Stop that!"  
  
Helena meowed.  
  
"Whatever you said, the same to you. Now go to sleep, I have an exam tomorrow!!" she turned and covered her head with her pillow and closed her eyes.  
  
Suddenly she felt a bite on her arm and she yelled. "Shit!!! Helena!!!"  
  
The brunette moved off the bed and hissed. Dinah turned on the lamp on her night table. "Why the hell can't you sleep like a normal person?"  
  
Helena meowed again.  
  
"Please, Helena, I just want to sleep, I can't do it with you purring at my back. Go to sleep!" Dinah turned off the lights and covered up again with the blankets.

---------------  
  
Dinah woke and sleepily looked at her clock, six o'clock. She yawned and sat on the bed. She looked around for Helena but she wasn't there. "Uh, oh..." she stood up immediately and began to call her in low voice. "Helena, where are you?" The room was empty. "Come on, Helena, I don't have time for this, I need to go to school."  
  
Dinah began to look for her partner. She seemed to have disappeared. She went toward the workrom and saw Barbara at the Delphi. That was strange, it was too early. She tried to step back slowly, to avoid Barbara discovering her.  
  
"Did you lose something?" the red head asked.  
  
"Uhh... I? Well..." the blonde girl didn't know what to say and walked toward her mentor.  
  
Barbara turned. Dinah stopped in her tracks. The red head had a not so friendly face and she had big rings under her eyes.  
  
"Uh..uh..." Dinah muttered. "Why... are you here... it's six in the morning...?"  
  
"Tell me." Barbara raised her brow. "Would you be able to sleep with a girl purring at your back and her chest vibrating all night while she is hugging you?"  
  
"Oh, Barbara... I, I... I'm sorry, I fell asleep and I didn't..."  
  
"The damn bed vibrated with her purr all night!"the red head said, annoyed.  
  
"Yes... I couldn't slep either."  
  
"It's not your fault, Dinah, I couldn't sleep; so I came here to work on the antidote."  
  
"I'll help you when I get back, I have exam I need to go to school early."  
  
"Take the Hummer."  
  
"Okay."

---------------------

After four days since the encounter with Circe, the sorceress seemed to have disappeared. Barbara suspected she would be outside of the town, but Diana felt she would be still there, knowing she was in New Gotham. Circe wanted her, her fight was personal. She just needed to wait for her next move.  
  
Diana went toward Barbara and gave her some papers. "I made some changes to the procedure. Why don't you try this?"  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"I changed the process; I applied it in an inverse way."  
  
"Okay..." Barbara read the papers with curiosity. "Yes, this would work... I think that you found the antidote."  
  
"I'm glad to hear it."

------------

"Come on, Helena, sit down." Dinah was trying to convince the brunette to sit and not to crouch on the chair at the kitchen table for dinner. Helena put her hand on the table and tried to take a piece of meat of one of the plates on the table. Dinah grabbed her hand and forced her on a chair.  
  
"Problems?" Diana smiled, walking in.  
  
"Oh no, you know how she is." Dinah said, moving her hair behind her ear. "Dinner is ready."  
  
Diana sat to the right of the brunette and fixed her eyes on her in silence a few seconds. Helena moved and sat on the chair. She was hungry, with all that food there, why couldn't she just eat? But she needed to wait, she needed wait until the tall woman with black hair told her it was okay. She lowered her head.  
  
"I insist, you must teach me that trick," the blonde said, sitting to the left of Helena.  
  
"This smells good." Diana looked at the food on the table.  
  
"Meat, potatoes and salad. I prepared it. It's Alfred's day off."  
  
"Good news, I have the antidote." Barbara wheeled inside the dinning room, taking a napkin and putting it over her legs.  
  
"You do? Excellent!" Dinah said, giving Helena a plate with a ham sandwich.  
  
"Thank the princess she found the key."  
  
Helena sniffed the sandwich on her plate. Dinah hit her lightly on the head. "Don't do that. I told you it's bad manners. Just eat it." She cut it in two slices and put one in her hand.  
  
"I'll give it to her after dinner. I'm letting it settle now." Barbara picked up a fork.  
  
"I really want her to be her again." Dinah said, pouring water in her glass.  
  
Helena looked at Dinah's plate. Her plate looked better than her own. She moved her hand and stole a french fry from Dinah's plate.  
  
"No, Helena, you have your dinner here," Dinah said, showing her the sandwich while the brunette chewed the potato.  
  
That thing tasted good, she knew she couldn't touch Barbara's and Diana's plates. She saw them as the dominant females, but the blond girl was like her.  
  
Dinah put the sandwich in Helena's hand again. Helena bit it but didn't taste as good as the yellow thing that she had taken from the blonde's plate.  
  
"I just need a good bath to sleep well tonight." Barbara smiled.  
  
Helena jumped back, hissing and crouching on the floor. Dinah rolled her eyes.  
  
"What the hell...?" the red head looked at her stunned.  
  
"You said the "word"." Dinah stood up and went to Helena.  
  
"What word?" the princess asked curiously.  
  
"Bath," the teen answered.  
  
Helena hissed again.  
  
"Dammi,t Helena, Stand up!" Dinah said, taking her arm. "They are not talking about you." She pulled her back to her chair.  
  
"Why does she react like that when you say "bath"?" Barbara was surprised.  
  
The brunette growled and jumped back again. "Don't say the "word"!" Dinah almost shouted, holding the brunette by the waistband of her pants. "Helena! Come back! She is not talking about you!"  
  
Diana tried to avoid laughing by covering her mouth with her hand. "Seems as if she has a psychosis against the "word"."  
  
"Oh, just the bad experience from the first day," Dinah said, forcing Helena to sit on he chair. "And I used it later to blackmail her."  
  
"Dinah that was..." Barbara glared at the blonde.  
  
"Well, it worked," Dinah interrupted, "when you say "that word" she stops annoying me."  
  
"Okay okay, I didn't say anything. I'm doing research now on a scientist that works in the food industry here," Barbara explained, cutting a piece of meat. "Circe will try attack from there."  
  
"That's a good idea," Diana said. "Could you pour me some water, please?" she asked Dinah.  
  
The blond girl took the pitcher with water and poured her glass while Helena took another French fry from her plate and put it in her mouth quickly. Diana looked at her without saying a word.  
  
"How are we going to stop her?" Dinah asked, slapping Helena's hand when she tried to steal yet another potato. The brunette growled in protest.  
  
"I said no growling at the table Helena." Barbara smiled. "Dinah give her some fries."  
  
"She doesn't want them, she just likes to steal the food off my plate." Dinah sighed and took some of the potatoes from the bowl and gave them to Helena. Then, she took the catsup and poured it over the potatoes on her own plate while the brunette observed her and sniffed.  
  
"Circe is a sorceress," Diana explained. "I think the only way will be my magic lasso. The problem is getting it around her."  
  
That red stuff that the blonde had put on her plate... what was it ? Why she didn't have it on her plate too? Helena moved her hand quickly and stole a french fry with catsup and gulped it down to avoid Dinah trying to to take it back.  
  
Dinah looked at Barbara. "See? She just likes the green garden of the neighbor." She turned to Helena and put the slice of sandwich in her hand again. She rejected it. "Okay." Dinah took her plate and exchanged it for Helena's. "Now eat it all, understand???" She gave her a fork and showed her how to take the meat and put it in her mouth.  
  
Helena chewed it and after a few seconds her chewing slowed and she spat the food out.  
  
"Great, now she ruined my dinner." Dinah shook her head.  
  
"Helena, don't do that!" Barbara shouted. "Why did you spit your food out?"  
  
Helena made a face and growled, she pushed the plate far.  
  
"Maybe the chili sauce, I like the meat with chili sauce," Dinah said.  
  
Helena tried to take her plate back. Dinah stopped her. "Ah, no! Now it's mine." The brunette grunted in protest.  
  
"Hey you two! Stop!" Barbara ordered.  
  
Helena looked the red head, growling softly, asking for her plate.  
  
"Dinah gave her the plate and take another one. She doesn't understand," Barbara said.  
  
"She is capricious." Dinah gave the sandwich to Helena, who immediately took it and began to eat it.  
  
"Just a few hours more. I'll give the antidote to her and in a few hours she will back to normal."  
  
"I really miss Helena as she is." Dinah sighed.  
  
"You always tell me that she is cranky." Barbara grinned.  
  
"Yes, but it's easier to reason with her when she is in possession of her senses."  
  
After that, the night was most peaceful. Dinah gave a slice of cake to each woman. Helena took it between her hands and ate it. Barbara, tired of scolding her, let her eat it as she wished. She finished quickly with the cake and licked her fingers and mouth.  
  
Diana was talking about Paradise Island, keeping the attention of Dinah and her mentor. Helena gazed at Dinah's cake and tried to take it. Dinah slapped her hand.  
  
"I'm watching you." She grinned.  
  
Helena bluffed and looked around. She was taking her time, after a few seconds Dinah seemed be distracted and she tried to take the cake again, but Dinah moved faster and raised her plate. "I said this is mine, you finished yours."  
  
"Helena," Barbara looked at the brunette, "leave Dinah alone."  
  
Helena remained still a few moments. The women continued their conversation until Diana felt that Helena rubbing against her sleeve. She turned her face and found Helena looking at her with puppy eyes.  
  
"Oh no, Helena, not that!" Dinah exclaimed, covering her face.  
  
"That look is for what?" the princess asked Helena, who was looking at her with big eyes, begging her.  
  
She purred and rubbed her head against her arm constantly looking at her with her puppy eyes.  
  
"That is low," Barbara said putting a piece of cake on her mouth. "Helena, don't bother Diana."  
  
"She looks like the damn cat in Shrek 2." Dinah sighed.  
  
"Okay, okay, that's enough, take it!" Diana pushed her plate toward the brunette and Helena happily took the slice of cake and put it in her mouth.  
  
"I hate that look," Dinah said. "Nobody can resist it more than 30 seconds."  
  
"Yes, I see that." Diana responded, and laughed as she watched the brunette eating the cake.  
  
"I better get the antidote before she makes us crazy with her tricks." Barbara cleaned her mouth with a napkin.  
  
"Yes, good idea," the princes and Dinah said at the same time.  
  
Barbara looked at her protégé, she had chocolate all over herself from the cake. She moved her head, she was a very tidy and orderly person. She hated that Helena was messy, maybe she was picky, perhaps slightly obsessive- compulsive, but she didn't like the dirt. The brunette put her hands on the tablecloth and growled something to Dinah. Barbara closed her eyes looking at the finger prints of chocolate on it.  
  
"Okay, I think we need apply the 'word'" she sighed.  
  
"What?" Dinah opened her eyes and looked at Helena, who was putting the breadcrumbs from Dinah's plate on her mouth.  
  
"She is a real mess! I don't want to see her chocolate fingerprints all over the clocktower," Barbara explained  
  
"I pass..." Dinah moved her hands. "I did it this morning, she will be pissed if I do it again."  
  
Barbara glared at her. "Okay, I'll do it."  
  
"Barbara, she doesn't have very good memories of that day. For that reason, she hides everytime she hears you say the 'word'"  
  
"I just gave her a bath! What is the problem?"  
  
Helena raised her eyes and looked at the redhead.  
  
Dinah cocked her head. "Remember? The WWF ring?"  
  
"You are exaggerating. She loves baths."  
  
Helena hissed.  
  
"Yes, but she hates that you must be a bit firm with her."  
  
"Well, that was when we didn't have good communication with her and we had to force her to do it!" She looked her protégé, who was looking at her attentively with her feral eyes. "Am I wrong? We can give you a bath without problems."  
  
The girl disappeared immediately of the kitchen. Diana tried to avoid laughing.  
  
"Oh damn!!." Barbara cursed and wheeled back. "Diana, could you help me?".  
  
"Why don't you let Dinah bathe her? She did it the last few days without problems," the princess suggested.  
  
"Helena, loves the idea of baths," Dinah explained, "but I guess she thinks it wouldn't be fun twice in a day."  
  
"Helena normally would do it," Barbara said.  
  
"You said it, 'normally'."  
  
"Okay, okay, who taught her be afraid of the 'word'? Barbara glared at Dinah.  
  
"Hey, it wasn't my fault that you three wrestled the first day!" the teen said.  
  
"But you taught her the 'word'."  
  
Dinah rolled her eyes and stood up. "Okay, okay, I'll try, but I won't promise anything. Could you help me find her?"

---------

**_Those girls are never boring. It was a really an odyssey to try to catch Helena, she disappeared in the Clock Tower. Dinah was right, she was disgusted because the first day Barbara had be a bit firm. She was afraid of being in a "new place" after a long day of hiding. She had been scared and disconcerted.  
  
Barbara began to worry because she needed to give her the antidote too. I thought in that moment that finding her was maybe the easiest part. Catching her... that was the difficult one. After a half hour Dinah had a brilliant idea. Maybe she was at the top of the ClockTower outside. And she was...  
  
I could fly and catch her but I didn't want to do it. It had been hard enough for her because she didn't understand what was happening. We managed to get her down after an hour. It was hard to convince her that taking a bath with Babs and me wouldn't be as terrible as lat time. But again she was easy, we blackmailed her with pop tarts.  
  
After the bath, Barbara injected the serum, but we needed to wait between five and six hours to let it take effect. In the morning she would awake as the old and stubborn Helena. She removed the sling from her feet, she had healed quickly.  
  
Helena has a special charm. Now I understand why Barbara loves her so much. My friend had told me that after her mom's death the fury had transformed her life; that she had trained her to help her to control that anger. To prevent that anger from consuming her; fighting against her demons day by day. But in her feral mode, the anger didn't exist, she was playful, she liked to be with her family. She didn't remember anything about her past, about her nightmares.  
  
I remember that night. Barbara was on the balcony of the Clocktower after dinner. Barbara had refused in the beginning, but I finally convinced her. I wrapped her legs with her belt to kep them together and, taking her by her waist, she passed her arm around my back, I jumped into the night.  
  
We flew around the city. I could see her face shining, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the cool air. Maybe she remembered the feeling of hanging in the city as Batgirl. It was a long time ago. The lights of the city down below us were marvelous, and when we flew through the bay of new Gotham and she looked at the lights reflected over the water, her eyes turned moist.  
  
She didn't say a word, neither did I. We didn't need to. The moment was just perfect.  
  
We were back almost half an hour later. I sat her on the edge of the balcony. She looked at the city under her feet once more. I saw her opening her arms to feel it. She stayed there without moving for long seconds, maybe minutes. I sat next to her and closed my eyes too, feeling the moment.  
  
Suddenly, she arrived. Helena managed to squirm between Barbara and me. As usual she liked to be the focus of our attention. Barbara and I looked at each other and smiled. She passed and arm around the girl's back and gave her a kiss on the forehead. I could almost touch the bond between them. It was as strong as the one that I had with my mother and she with me. I remembered her and I couldn't prevent a tear from running down my cheek.  
  
We stayed there in silence, just looking up. The young Kyle seemed be enjoying the moment, maybe more than us, sometimes we could hear her making strange noises coming from her throat and chest, while her eyes were lost looking at I don't know what in the black sky. It was like if she was talking with the stars. It was if nothing else existed in the world. Just her and "her" night... in her way she was sharing "her" night with us.  
  
And I say "her" night because I remembered her father in that moment. The mysterious detective, the Dark Knight. He had the same love for the darkness, for the freedom, for that city, for the night, "his" night, as now she now felt was hers.  
  
That night will live forever in my mind.  
  
_**


	13. Circe

Barbara tried to convince Helena to go to her bedroom, but the brunette was obstinate and wanted stay on the balcony. It was late and she was tired. Helena spent most of her nights awake, jumping on rooftops and she was enjoying the night after several days of being closed inside the Clocktower. Barbara was completely befuddled as to why the brunette hadn't tried to escape or run away; maybe she felt comfortable there after that long day that she had been hiding.   
  
She yawned while the brunette continued her talk with the stars. Diana smiled.  
  
"You are tired."  
  
"Sorry." Barbara yawned again, covering her mouth. "I think I am."  
  
"Go to sleep."  
  
"I can't." Barbara smiled, lightly looking at her protégé purring at the sky. "She is happy now."  
  
Diana crossed her arms and looked at her, too. "Yes, she is, I can take care of her. Let me take her and give her a turn flying around."  
  
"Thanks, princess, but it is one o'clock and..."  
  
"Don't worry, I can do it and later I'll take to her room. I'm sure she will enjoy flying around the city a few minutes."  
  
"Okay." Barbara nodded smiling and touched the princess' hand. "Thanks, Diana."  
  
"No need for thanks, it's a pleasure." The amazon walked toward Helena and sat next to her. "Would you like a small turn flying around?"  
  
Helena cocked her head.  
  
"Come on, stand up." The princess stood up at the cornice taking her hand and making her stand up. She passed her right arm around her waist.  
  
Helena looked at her arm without understanding what she was doing.  
  
"You'll like this."  
  
"Urghh?" the brunette grunted.  
  
The amazon flew over the balcony, Helena hissed and hugged her frightened, looking down. Diana laughed. "Don't worry, you are safe," she said to the girl, who meowed holding her strongly. "Look down, isn't beautiful?"  
  
Helena slowly began to trust and enjoyed the flight, fascinated at looking at the city from the sky; she never had seen her city, her place in that way. Diana began to play with her flying down and moving up suddenly; Helena laughed her staccato purr.  
  
"See?" the amazon said to her. "I told you that you'd love this."  
  
They flew around the outskirts a few minutes, between buildings and parks.  
  
Helena's senses turned on, she hissed angrily and looked around. Diana didn't understand her change. Helena looked over Diana's shoulder and growled loudly. The amazon without hesitation, suddenly moved abruptly down, in time to avoid being hit in the back by one of Circe's big eagles.  
  
She looked back and saw the big bird. "Thanks, Helena," she said, when Helena growled angrily again.  
  
"I knew you would come back." She heard Circe's voice and stopped her flight. The sorceress was there, a few meters near her. "I saw you flying a few minutes ago and I knew you would do it. Hey... I see you brought your little friend with you. Good, we'll have a fun time."  
  
Helena growled loudly at the woman. Diana never expected to find her in that moment, a bad one. "Okay, this is between you and me now."  
  
"Of course." Circe threw a blast of light at her.  
  
Wonder Woman raised her bracelet to avoid it and flew down quickly; she couldn't fight with Helena next to her. She moved in circles to avoid the attack of the sorceress. She moved inside a forest and landed, putting the brunette on the ground. "Stay here and don't move," she ordered.  
  
Helena growled angrily and pushed her to the side. Diana fell backwards, disoriented. She saw the brunette jumping against a beast that had appeared suddenly at her back, stopping it from hitting her.  
  
"Damn..." The princess of Themyscira stood up and realized they were surrounded by many of Circe's beasts. Helena had knocked one out and crouched on the floor in a defensive position.  
  
"Nice..." Circe laughed. "Your friend is the one that was affected by my potion? How could that be?"  
  
"Leave her out of this." The amazon pointed at her. "This is our fight."  
  
"Yes, as long as you live, my power, my divine essence is in jeopardy. By the soul of Hecate, the princess of Themyscira shall die. Get her!"  
  
The beasts attacked her. Helena was fast and agile and avoided all the punches and kicks. Diana was hitting and punching the powerful beasts with all her strength. One of the beasts caught her throat with her tail, choking her, it pulled her back and smashed her hard onto the ground. The beast fell over her, kicking her gut.  
  
Helena felt anger overtake her when she saw the beasts attacking the amazon. She punched the beast that was in front of her and jumped to kick two more. She almost flew and fell over the beast that was shocking the princess, hitting it with both fists on the back of the head. The sound of bones breaking could be heard. She jumped toward the other beast and trapped its head between her legs.  
  
The amazon stood up immediately and taking the arm of one of the beasts, she used it as a stick and began to turn in cicles to hit the other ones. The beast began to circle her again and she jumped outside the mortal circle that they were creating around her.  
  
Circe frowned. "Seems as if Diana's destruction will require all my attention..." She raised her hand and threw a blast at her that smashed against one of the beasts. Wonder Woman turned and faced her. She flew toward her and Circe attacked again but the amazon stopped all her shots with her bracelets. One of them pushed her back making her fell backwards.  
  
She grabbed her arm, it hurt. Suddenly, she saw a big tail falling over her, she raised her arm in time to stop the impact against her. She felt the pain had increased in her arm. She knocked the beast out with her good arm.  
  
Circe raised her hands and talked loudly in greek. The amazon saw more beasts approaching. She would be in trouble and, without hesitation, she turned and flew toward Helena who was circled by many of them. She was fighting hard against the beasts; she didn't want that Circe to hurt Barbara's protégé. She took her by her waist with her good arm and moved far from the place. Helena grunted in protest, she wanted to attack those beasts, she struggled, trying to free herself from the amazon's embrace, but Diana held her strongly.  
  
"What? Are you running away?" Circe watched her, shocked. "Stop her now!!" she shouted to her beasts.  
  
Wonder Woman flew low, but the eagles followed her closely. She made some quick turns trying to avoid them, but was unsuccessful. She moved toward New Gotham Bay as fast as she could.  
  
"I'm sorry, Helena, third time in one day... hold your breath!" she shouted sinking in the cold water of the bay. The eagles couldn't follow her and began to circle the place, trying to find the amazon. Circe arrived a few seconds later, followed by some of her beasts. She angrily cursed the amazon and sent three of her beasts to look for her.  
  
The amazon swam as fast as she could, trying to get as far away as possible to avoid being found and avoid drowning the girl. A few miles away, the amazon moved her head out of the water, Helena coughed and hissed at the same time, angry. Tht was the worst of all the baths that they had given her. The water was freezing. Diana made a sign at her to keep silenct. She looked back, they had lost the sorceress. She helped Helena to climb on some rocks, following her. Helena was shivering and growling in disgust. Diana moved up and held her hurt arm with her hand.  
  
Helena looked at her and hissed, annoyed; she knew the woman was injured and it bothered her. She crouched, looking around for the woman and her beast. Diana took her arm and forced her to sit. "Not now, Helena," she said. "Not now, we need to go back"

* * *

Barbara was in the kitchen, making coffee, when she heard the balcony door open and the Helena's growl; she recognized her sound; she was annoyed. Diana was almost pushing her in. She looked back and saw both women walking inside, soaked. "Hey, what happened?"  
  
"Circe..." Diana answered, looking upstairs "She tried to trap us."  
  
"There are towels in the infirmary in the first locker," Barbara said, taking the intercom to call Dinah, before wheeling toward the elevator.  
  
Helena growled again, looking at the glass of the Clocktower.  
  
"Inside, I said!" Diana shouted at her. The brunette grumbled and went to sit under the clock mechanism.  
  
Barbara arrived a few seconds later. She examined some bruises and a light cut over Diana's brow. "Are you all right?" she asked.  
  
"Yes... We are okay. Helena is just annoyed, she wanted to keep fighting against the Circe's beast but she was over us. I needed to escape.. She fights really well but Circe is not a good enemy."  
  
Barbara noticed the amazon had her arm bent toward her waist. "You are hurt. Let me check you."  
  
"It's nothing... just a hard blow."  
  
"Doesn't matter, let me see you," Barbara said to her.  
  
"Uhh... ohhh..." Dinah walked in and looked at Helena, who was drenched and was licking her hand under the clock mechanism. "She was again dirty from chocolate?"  
  
"No, I had to dive into New Gotham Bay and we took a cold bath." Diana explained.  
  
"You two need a warm bath, you are freezing," Barbara said, looking the brunette. "Dinah, please dry Helena and check why she is licking her hand. I guess she is hurt."  
  
Dinah took a towel and sat next to Helena, she put the towel around her neck and took her hand gently. Helena growled in protest and pulled her hand back.  
  
"Sorry mate." Dinah said, drying her hair gently. "Come on, let me see your hand." Dinah took it again and pulled it slowly, this time Helena let her see the scratch. "Uhhh... it's an ugly wound, we need to bandage this." She looked at Barbara. "Looks as if something bit her." Helena pulled her hand away again and kept licking it.  
  
"Don't let her lick it. Bring her here," she ordered Dinah.  
  
"Oh, sorry," the princess apologized. "I didn't..."  
  
The redhead turned to Diana. "Don't worry, it's normal in a fight. You are okay, as you said, it was just the blow, but you will feel better if I immobilize your arm tonight and if we put some antibiotic on your wounds. But first take a warm bath, okay?"  
  
"Okay..."  
  
Dinah sat Helena on the stretcher. She meowed when Dinah moved her hand to stop her from licking. She pulled her hand away.  
  
"Helena, that's disgusting, don't do that," Dinah said. Her friend meowed again in protest. "I know it hurts, but licking it won't help you."  
  
Diana stood up and went to Helena; she smiled at her, touching her hurt hand. "Thanks so much. You are brave; now be nice, let her bandage your hand." Helena just meowed. "Good girl."  
  
Barbara gave Dinah a small bottle with antibiotic and cotton. "Help Diana while I work with Helena."  
  
"Okay." Dinah said, and went with the amazon to her room. Barbara put her gloves on and wheeled next to her protégé. She opened the bottle of alcohol and put it on the stretcher. Helena smelled it and protested with a low growl. She knew she wasn't going to like that. Barbara tried to take her hand but Helena hid it with her other hand pulling both back.  
  
"Come on, Helena. It's not good for you to lick it." Barbara said softly. "Let me clean your wound." The brunette hesitated. "Come on, let me help you," Barbara insisted. The brunette meowed and the redhead smiled taking her hand again, gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
Helena finally let her take her hand. "Uhhh... It's an ugly bite, but nothing serious. Well, we need to disinfect this first."  
  
"Urghhh?" The brunette watched her.  
  
Barbara took the alcohol and soaked the cotton with it. Helena tried to figure out what she was doing. "This will hurt a bit..."

* * *

Dinah was seated on the Diana's bed, waiting for her to leave the bathroom so she could help her bandage her arm. She heard the loud meow of Helena: she ran outside. She stopped at the entrance to the lab and saw Barbara looking up. Helena was hissing annoyed crouched over the rail.  
  
"Helena!" the red head shouted, but the brunette hissed again and licked her hand. "Don't lick your hand!"  
  
"Antiseptic?" the blonde asked, walking toward her mentor.  
  
"Alcohol."  
  
"I see." Dinah looked up too. "Helena, come here!"  
  
The brunette made a guttural sound that they recognized as protest.  
  
"I know it hurts, but we need to disinfect it!" Barbara said to her.  
  
Helena turned her back to them, growling, while she kept licking her hand.  
  
"Mmm, I guess she doesn't want to come down," Dinah noted.  
  
"Oh God!" Barbara rubbed her temples. "We need to bathe her again or she will catch a cold, we need to bandage her hand... ideas, Dinah?"  
  
"Where is the dart gun?" the teen asked. 


	14. The antidote

"No dart guns!" Barbara shook her head.  
  
"And how do you expect to get her down?" Dinah crossed her arms.  
  
"Dinah, this is not right."  
  
"Well, I don't think she wants to come down here on her own. And Diana is hurt and I don't want to bother her for this "minor" problem. May I add that she is soaking the entire Clocktower?"  
  
"All right, all right." Barbara said, exasperated, moving her hands trying to control her temper. "Just a small dose."  
  
"Ok.." Dinah turned and went to the cabinet.  
  
"Helena, come here!" Barbara insisted, but the brunette didn't move and kept licking her hand crouched on the rail. The alcohol smelled awful and it burned when it touched her skin. She was not going to go down there. She heard a "click". Her senses turned on; she raised her head and turned to look back.  
  
The blonde was showing the redhead some of those things that make so much noise. She growled quietly. And watched them.  
  
"It's ready," Barbara said.  
  
"Mmm... I guess she knows what we are doing." Dinah said, looking up at her friend.  
  
Barbara raised her head. The brunette was keeping an eye on them. "Yes... I see."  
  
"Let me try to distract her." Dinah went toward the elevator.  
  
Helena didn't move her eyes off the gun. She didn't like this. She hissed. After a few seconds, she heard the elevator door opening, but she didn't want to turn her attenton from the gun that the redhead had in her hands.  
  
"Helena, come with me," Dinah said, standing in front of the elevator. She began to walk slowly toward her.  
  
Helena hissed, she was nervous and began to move her head quickly, looking back and forth from the blonde to the redhead downstairs. Suddenly, she jumped down and hid behind the desk near the clock mechanism. Dinah ran downstairs. Barbara wheeled to her.  
  
Helena raised her head slightly and watched them. Now she knew, she was being stalked. She crouched and remained perfectly still. Dinah walked to her right and Barbara to her left. The redhead made a sign at the blonde to move slowly.  
  
Dinah kneeled a few meters from her and began to talk softly to her while Barbara moved closer.  
  
"I promise not to touch you," Dinah said. "Forget about your hand, we just need to change your clothes."  
  
Helena watched her suspiciously out of the corner of her eye, unmoving. Dinah moved closer. "No more baths, no more alcohol in your wound, we just need to cover it."  
  
Barbara removed the safety on the gun. Helena's senses turned on. Barbara raised her hand slowly, trying to not to startle the brunette. She knew the blonde was trying to distract her.  
  
"That's it Hel..." Dinah mumbled. "Don't move... don't move."  
  
Helena sharpened her hearing. She was watching Dinah, but was feeling the movements of the redhead behind her. She could almost guess her move. Recognizing her next move, she jumped a second before Barbara shot. The dart buried in Dinah's thigh.  
  
"Crap!" the blonde girl growled.  
  
"Damn!" Barbara shouted. "Dinah!"  
  
Helena crouched over a rail, again looking down. The blonde removed the dart from her leg and threw it to the side rubbing her leg. "I'm okay, catch her," she said to Barbara.  
  
"Helena, that's enough come here!" Barbara shouted angrily, helping Dinah to stand up.  
  
"I'm okay..." Dinah felt strange and put her hand on the arm of the chair to steady herself.  
  
Diana walked in at that moment. "What is going on?" she asked.  
  
"We were trying to catch Helena to change her and clean her hand. I shot a dart by accident at Dinah."  
  
Diana sighed and glared at the brunette locking her eyes on her. "Come here! You have caused enough trouble today." Helena grunted. "Come here. We need to bandage your hand now!" Helena grumbled and jumped down. "Sit down and don't move!"  
  
The brunette jumped onto the stretcher and crouched on it.  
  
"Dinah? Are you all right?" Barbara's protégé didn't look well.  
  
"I dunno..." Dinah said, staggering "I feel funny..."  
  
Diana saw Helena, she was grinning, looking at the blonde. They had failed and no one was going to put that stuff that burned on her hand.  
  
"This is not funny." Diana scolded her, while she walked over to help Barbara with Dinah. She passed her arm behind the blonde to help her to walk.  
  
"Hey... the floor moves." The teen laughed.  
  
"Oh, sorry, Dinah," Barbara apologized.  
  
Diana helped Dinah to sit on a chair. Barbara gave her some alcohol to smell. The amazon turned to see Helena, who was moving silently out of the infirmary. She hated the alcohol smell and while they were distracted with the blonde she could hide.  
  
"Helena," Diana called her.  
  
The girl tried to run but the amazon moved faster and blocked her way. Helena crouched and hissed. The tall woman raised her golden lasso and showed it to her. "Do you recognize this?"  
  
Helena growled softly.  
  
"Go back and be nice or I'll use this on you, got it?"  
  
Helena mewled.  
  
"Go back, now!"  
  
The brunette crouched on the stretchter. Diana touched Barbara's shoulder. "Bandage Helena's hand and I'll take care of Dinah." She glared at the brunette who just grunted and avoided her stare. "And don't worry, you can heal her now. She is not going to move."  
  
"Thanks, the wound is not deep, but I don't want it infected with dirt and her saliva."  
  
Dinah recovered a few minutes later. She had removed the dart quickly and she hadn't been affected too much. She stayed in the infirmary with Helena, changing her soaked clothes, while Barbara was attending to the amazon in her room.  
  
"Comfortable?." Barbara asked Diana, after finishing with the bandage her on arm.  
  
"Yes... I think I will sleep better, thanks... Helena surprised me; she fights amazingly well."  
  
"She is very good." Barbara smiled. "I can't deny it."  
  
"You trained her well."  
  
"Thanks. I tried to teach her the best that he showed to me."  
  
"You fought like him... You taught her... she fights, in some ways, like him."  
  
"I never thought about that."  
  
"It doesn't disgust her?"  
  
Barbara kept silent a few seconds and winked. "I don't think that she has stopped to think about that. So it's best if you don't say a word about it. You know how difficult she is when she's pissed."  
  
"Deal." The amazon smiled.  
  
"Circe is looking for you now. It worries me."  
  
"Me too, she knows I'm in the city and now is going to focus all her attention on that. In some ways that is good."  
  
"Good?" Barbara frowned.  
  
"It will divert her attention from poisoning people with her potion."  
  
Dinah ran inside the room. "Barbara, Helena passed out!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was finishing her bandage when she suddenly passed out."  
  
The redhead wheeled toward the infirmary followed by the princess. Barbara stood next to her protégé who was lying on the stretcher and touched her forehead. She was burning up and trembling.  
  
"She has a fever."  
  
"A fever?" Dinah asked, surprised. "But... how? She was okay a few minutes ago."  
  
"Would it be the antidote?" Diana asked.  
  
"I don't know." The redhead took the girl's pulse. "Dinah, bring me the ice bag, we need to lower the fever."  
  
Helena half opened her eyes and looked at her. "Barbara?"  
  
The three women turned, stunned to hear the brunette.  
  
"Helena?"  
  
"I'm thirsty..."  
  
"I'll go for water." Dinah said running out of the room.  
  
"How do you feel?" Barbara took a light pen on her pocket and examined her eyes. They had a changed to a strange yellow color and were shifting from cat to their normal size.  
  
"Sick... what... happened?"  
  
Barbara took a cloth to clean her sweaty forehead. "I need to lower the fever; you will be okay."  
  
The girl uttered a low growl. She looked at her mentor, disconcerted, had she made that sound? "What... was that?"  
  
"Don't worry..." Barbara touched her hand. "Try to rest."  
  
"I feel strange..."

* * *

**_Something was wrong. I didn't know what it was, but I could read it in Barbara's eyes. We tried to low the fever, unsuccessfully. The antidote wasn't working; Barbara used all her technology, trying to figure out what was happening, but before she could do anything, things turned worse. Helena began to complain of an ache in her chest and her head.  
  
It hurt me to see the desperation in Barbara's eyes and not be able to do anything. It was one of those moments when I felt with all my powers, gifts from the most powerful Gods of the Universe, the most useless person in the world._**

* * *

"I need time to investigate what is happening." Barbara brushed her hair nervouslt and looked at Diana. Helena was moving about, clearly disturbed and her irises were changing color again. "She is not having a good time."  
  
Helena grunted and curled up. She pressure in her chest, and her mind was foggy and dizzy. The sensation was more than unpleasant. It was like being drugged in the middle of a desert.  
  
"Easy Hel..." Barbara rubbed her cheek gently with her hand. "You'll be okay."  
  
The brunette answered with another growl and took her mentor's hand holding it strongly. She knew that the sounds coming from her weren't normal. "Why... am I growl... " before she could finish the sentence she curled up again, holding herself. Her chest hurt and the headache turned worse.  
  
"Here is a tranquilizer," Diana said, giving Barbara a syringe.  
  
"Good idea."  
  
"Easy, Helena, calm down," Diana said, sitting next to the brunette on the mattress.  
  
The girl clenched her teeth and gave a loud growl. Barbara could see her irises turning red. "Damn! The antidote is not working." She turned to the amazon, worried. "She is turning feral! Hold her!."  
  
Helena hit the amazon with such force that she crashed against the wall. She jumped to the door and and pushed Dinah to the side.  
  
"Helena, come back"!!" Barbara shouted.  
  
Helena stumbled, moving outside the room. She didn't understand what was happening; her head hurt like hell. She hit a table in the corridor and fell down. Her instinct told her to run, escape, hide. She stood up and tried to do it but her vision was blurred and she crashed against the rail. She fell over it and landed on the lower floor on a computer desk, breaking it.  
  
"Stop her before she hurts herself!" Barbara ordered.  
  
Helena tried to stand up, but she stumbled against a piece of wood near the table and fell down again. She looked around, frightened. Where was she? Diana landed next to her. She jumped back and crouched, hissing at her.  
  
"Helena, it's me Diana," the amazon said.  
  
Dinah stood up a few meters from her, she noticed she didn't look well, she could barely sustain her own weight. Helena crawled back, disconcerted. These women were trying to trap her; she needed to escape. The amazon raised her hand toward her. Helena remained still.  
  
"That's it, we are friends, remember?" Diana stepped toward her. The brunette charged at her trying to scratch her, but Dinah tackled her and both rolled on the floor. Dinah had a hard time trying to keep her still.  
  
"Diana!" Barbara shouted, throwing the syringe with the tranquilizer at her. She caught it and buried it in Helena's leg, who meowed in disgust. She kicked Dinah and moved, trying to run toward the balcony, but Diana was on her before she could stand up. She struggled but she felt dizzy, her mind told her to escape but her body didn't respond. Her eyelids were heavy. She pushed once more, trying to stand up, but she couldn't...she stopped struggling.  
  
Diana watched her, after a few seconds she slowly released her grip on the girl and brushed her hair off her sweaty forehead. "She is asleep now," she said.  
  
Barbara sighed and was slightly relieved. Dinah sat on the floor. "When all this is over she will be really pissed." She cleaned her hands on her sleeve.  
  
"Now we need to investigate why the antidote didn't work. I don't understand what happened."  
  
"We will do it after we take her to her room," Diana told Dinah.  
  
"Ughhh." The teen responded, passing her arm around the brunette's back. "I guess she is heavier now... would be the poptarts. She is going to be pissed when she discovers she gained weight. I hope you accept new guests on your island, princess."  
  
"Sure," she laughed, helping her pick up the brunette. 


	15. Jealous

"Sure," she laughed, helping her pick up the brunette.

Barbara was sleeping deeply after working all night on the antidote, unsuccessfully. It seemed as if Helena's meta blood had complicated the effect of it. They needed to make some adjustments and increase the dose. She woke up abruptly when she felt someone biting her arm lightly. She moved back and saw Helena watching her with big eyes with her chin resting on the mattress. She meowed at her.

"God, you scared me!" the red head said, sighing and resting her head back on the pillow.

Helena mewled again.

"You are back, right?" Barbara smiled and sat up in the bed. She touched the brunette's forehead and checked her hand. "You are better but... where is the bandage?" The redhead glared at her. Helena mewled and pulled her hand away. She took Barbara's arm with her good hand and pulled her.

"What do you want?"

The girl pulled her arm lightly again, meowing.

"Hungry? Okay, okay, give me a second."

* * *

Dinah woke, yawning and went to the kitchen looking for coffee. She rubbed her eyes when she saw Barbara cooking and Helena sitting at the table munching a waffle.  
  
"And now what happened?" she asked sleepily.  
  
"You know, she is always hungry," Barbara said, turning a waffle over in the frying pan. "Want breakfast?"  
  
Dinah sat on the table crossing her arms. "We need to survive another day with you, right Hel?"  
  
Helena watched her while she chewed her waffle.  
  
"Whatever." Dinah took the waffle that was on Helena's plate with her fork, the brunette hissed, annoyed. "You always do the same with my food, don't complain to me now."  
  
Helena growled at Barbara, accusing Dinah. "Dinah, leave her alone." Barbara turned and put more waffles on the table. She gave one more to Helena. The brunette pulled her plate close to her grumbling at Dinah.  
  
"Yea, yea. "Dinah grinned. "Take care of it or I'll..." she moved her fork toward her plate. Helena hissed again and moved it even closer to her.  
  
"Dinah, leave her alone."  
  
"We are just playing." The teen smiled. "Right, Helena?"  
  
The brunette grumbled at her.  
  
"I told you, no "growls" at the table. Now finish your breakfast." Barbara said.  
  
She made guttural sounds holding her plate with one hand and holding the waffle with her free one.  
  
"Yesterday was not funny, Helena," Dinah said. "Wait for my revenge."  
  
"Good morning," Diana greeted.  
  
"Good morning, princess." Barbara smiled "Waffles?"  
  
"Smells good, yes please."  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
"Fine, thanks." She went toward Helena who was chewing another waffle. "Hey I see you are much better... where is the bandage for your hand?"  
  
"Forget it," Barbara said, sitting at the table "I put it on and as soon as I turn she removes it."  
  
"Is that true?" Diana touched Helena's shoulder, who just looked her and put another piece of waffle in her mouth. "We need to fix this later."  
  
"I called Reese," Barbara said "I asked him for more of the samples that they found in other tanks for us to work with."  
  
The elevator door opened and the detective walked in with a bag in his hand.  
  
"And speak of the devil..." Dinah smiled.  
  
"Hey, how are you?" he greeted everyone.  
  
"Fine, just don't kiss the big cat," Dinah mocked.  
  
"Dinah...." Barbara glared at her.  
  
"Funny." The tall man sighed. "Morning." He stood next to Helena and smiled. "Hey, how are you?"  
  
She muttered a friendly growled and rubbed her head on him.  
  
"Yes, I'm happy to see you too."  
  
"Want breakfast?" Barbara asked him.  
  
"Oh yea, thanks." He sat in a chair between Helena and Dinah.  
  
"Morning, I see everybody woke up early." Alfred said, walking into the kitchen. "Let me guess, Miss Helena."  
  
"Wizard!." Dinah said, pouring a glass of milk for the brunette.  
  
"Almost..." he smiled.  
  
"What happened yesterday? You told me you would explain it to me today," Reese asked to Barbara..  
  
"Well, we had a hard time," she said. "The antidote didn't work."  
  
"You should have seen her being pissed after the third bath." Dinah laughed.

Helena watched him while she kept eating her waffles. He laughed when he heard the part about Helena on the rail and the odyssey of trying to make her come down to get her hand bandaged. Now... he was being so nice with the blonde. She looked at her... And she was having a good time. That was not good. Helena's chewing began to slow and she glared at them.

"Want ham on your waffle?" Reese asked Dinah before putting one on his plate.

"Yes, and some butter too, please."

"We tried to trap her with the dart gun."

Helena hissed.

"She doesn't like that word." Reese raised his brow and looked at Barbara. "You didn't shot her with the dart gun right?"

Helena hissed again.

"We couldn't." Barbara explained "She moved too quickly and I shot Dinah by accident."

He smiled.

"That was not funny," Dinah protested.

"Sorry." Reese laughed, touching her shoulder.

"She soaked the entire floor too," Barbara added, sipping her coffee. "Diana helped us to keet her still on the stretcher. She didn't want to let us fix her hand, she just wanted to lick it."

"I know now why Helena hates drugs." The teen sighed. "It feels terrible."

Reese laughed again. Okay, that was enough. She meowed trying get Reese's attention. But he kept talking with the women. She moved and rubbed her head against his sleeve.

"Helena, don't do that," Barbara said.

He looked at her. "What happened?"

She showed him her hurt hand and mewled pathetically again.

"Old trick." Dinah sighed.

Diana smiled lightly. "She is calling your attention."

Barbara raised her brow. "Helena, you don't take care of your hand, you removed the bandage more than three times and now..." she shook her head, smiling.

"Hey honey, what happened to you" Reese asked. Helena meowed softly looking at her hand and licked it.

"Don't lick your hand, Helena!" Barbara scolded, feeling really frustrated.

Reese laughed. "Oh yes, I see... you are hurt." He took a handkerchief out of his pants. "Don't lick your hand, it's not good. Let me help you." He took her hand gently and covered it with his handkerchief. Helena meowed again, watching him cover her hand.

Barbara was touched. He was being lovely and patient with her. Reese finished and took her hand between his and gave her a light kiss on her palm. "Feel better?"

She meowed again softly and happily went back to her breakfast.

"Thanks Reese," Barbara said.

"Don't thank me. I'm worried for her. What happened with the antidote?"

"The reaction was not good," Diana explained.

"Why not?"

"I don't know, she was in her senses a few minutes and later was back to being feral." Barbara sighed. "I asked for the sample for that reason, I don't have any more. Maybe we need to apply a stronger dose. We had to tranquilize her last night when she tried to run away from the Clocktower."

"Maybe I need to carry one of those dart guns in my pocket," Reese said.

"That's a good idea." Dinah grinned. "I'll have one too."

"No more dart guns," Barbara interrupted.

"It was a good idea." Reese smiled.

"Give me five." Dinah raised her hand and he hit his hand against hers.

Those two were much too friendly. Helena stopped eating and growled very softly.

"Don't growl, Helena. Finish your waffles." Barbara glared at her young charge.

Dinah and Reese keep talking without looking at her. She meowed, but he kept talking to Dinah. She needed to use another technique. She moved and rubbed her head against Reese's sleeve, but he just moved her head back gently.

Diana observed her with curiosity.

Helena moved closer and suddenly felt someone pulling her back to the chair.

"Helena, sit down," the red head scolded her. "Let Reese eat his breakfast." The brunette wasn't hungry. She was annoyed because Reese wasn't paying attention to her and hissed. "Don't make me punish you, Hel."

Helena meowed angrily.

"Now what happened?" Dinah asked. "I'm not touching your food." Dinah filled her glass with more milk. "Here is your milk. What do you want?"

Helena made very strange noises. Dinah sighed and looked at Reese. "And this goes on all day."

"Want some orange juice?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, let me help you," Reese said, taking the pitcher. "Want some, Dinah?"

"Yes, please."

Helena pushed Reese with her elbow casuing him to pour the juice on the table, soaking Dinah and him. She didn't like her near her mate.

"Oh, sorry." He stood up, embarrassed.

"Damn, Helena!" Dinah exclaimed, angrily moving her chair back.

"Helena, keep quiet!" Barbara said in a loud voice.

Reese took a napkin cleaning himself. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry," the teen said, standing up cleaning her pants too.

"I guess she is jealous," Diana noted.

"Jealous?" Dinah asked. "She ruined my pants. I'm going to change," Dinah said. "Come with me, Reese, I'll take you to the bathroom."

"Okay..." he said, following her.

Helena growled angrily, watching them go.

"Helena!" Barbara shouted.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Dinah protested, glaring at Helena.

The brunette hissed.

Dinah walked to the bathroom and Reese took her elbow with his arm. That was enough. Helena didn't like that. She growled and ran toward them.

The movement surprised Diana and Barbara; Helena pushed her blond partner, she stumbled downwards and broke a table in the corridor. Reese tried to hold her but she pushed him too. Dinah turned in time to use her legs to push Helena back when she charged against her.

The amazon stood up quickly and held her by her waist to stop her from attacking Dinah again.

"Helena, calm down!" Barbara wheeled to her, furious.

"Helena, stop!" Dinah shouted, taking her hand to her brow. She had cut it. "What is up with you?"

"She is jealous!" the amazon shouted, trying to prevent the brunette from scratching Dinah. "Helena, calm down!"

Helena escaped Diana's grip. Dinah ducked to avoid her, but Helena managed to hit her with her fist. Diana jumped between both girls and stopped a second blow with her hand. "Stop!" she shouted. Helena struggled and Diana had to push her back.

Barbara arrived at that moment. She moved quickly and grabbed Helena's wrist on her hurt hand with two fingers, creating pressure; Helena cried and fell to the floor on her knees. "Keep quiet or you will be in trouble!" she said. Helena tried to move but Barbara pressed harder and she kept still. "Don't move!"

"What's that?" Dinah asked, stunned.

"An old trick," the red head said. "If I apply the right pressure to a nerve on a wrist, elbow or shoulder joint, it's very painful." Barbara locked her eyes on her young charge "I don't want to hurt you, but I'll do it if you keep trying to hurt Dinah. Calm down!!"

Helena growled and lowered her head. That was hurting.

Barbara began to slowly release the pressure on her wrist. Helena remained still. "That's it, calm down." The girl grunted softly.

Barbara finally released her. As soon as she felt her hand free, Helena ran toward her room.

"I can't believe it!" Reese said.

"Sorry Reese, it's not her fault. I'll be right back. Stay here." Barbara followed her protégé.

Barbara opened the door of Dinah's room: it was completely dark; the curtains were closed. She turned on the light and called to the brunette, but she didn't respond.

"Helena, sorry, I didn't want to do it." She looked around and heard soft whimpers inside the closet. Barbara sighed and wheeled toward it. It broke her heart to see the girl curled up at the back of the closet holding her hurt hand licking it. She had removed the handkerchief that covered it.

"Oh, Helena!" she whispered wheeling toward her.

The brunette meowed and moved back. It had been hurt; she was angry with her but she didn't understand why the blonde was with her mate. She surely wouldn't like it if someone was with her mate either.

"I didn't want... Oh..." Barbara covered her face with her hands. She didn't want to hurt her. But it was so difficult sometimes to control her. She raised her head and looked at her sadly. "Don't lick your hand..." she tried to touch her but she moved back again.

Barbara extended her hand to her. "Come here, please," she called softly.

The girl hid her hand and moved turning her back to the red head.

"Helena, you could have seriously hurt Dinah, that is not good." Barbara extended her arm and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, but you don't know your own strength."

The red head kept petting her back for a few moments. Finally, she took the girl's arm and tried to pull it to her; Helena refused.

"Come here Hel, come on," she coaxed gently.

Helena didn't move; she turned her head and watched her with fear. She had been mean and she had hurt her; she hid her hand again under her other arm.

"Please come on. Let me see your hand I didn't want to hurt you, you know that, sorry, it was your fault."

Helena hesitated and looked at her.

"Please?"

Barbara took her hand and pulled it gently to her. She rubbed it with kindness. "I'm sorry, does it hurt you?"

Helena meowed.

Barbara examined it carefully. It had almost healed. Helena moved her head close to see what she was doing. Barbara wanted to cover the wound to avoid infections, but the bandaging had thus far been unsuccessful and she seemed to like the handkerchief, she took it and covered her hand with it. When she finished, she kissed her hand gently to show her she didn't want hurt her.

Helena meowed and Barbara pulled her close. "Come here big girl." The brunette moved into her arms. "Yes, that's it." She smiled rubbing her back. "That's it..." Barbara moved back and looked at her. "But I'm still angry with you. You can't attack us, we are your friends. I don't want you to do that again. Dinah is your friend and so is Reese."

Helena growled in protest.

"I don't want to discuss it. No more fights here. Understand? No more fights."

Helena saw Reese and Dinah in the doorway. She moved and hid at the back of the closet again. Barbara looked back and made a sign for them to approach. Dinah took Reese's hand and took him into the closet.

Helena looked at both and lowered her head.

"Helena." Reese extended his hand to her.

"Come here," Dinah said.

The brunette watched Dinah.

"Hey, he's all yours," the teen said, stepping back and patting Reese's shoulder. "Just don't kiss her again, Reese."

"Come here." Reese sat on the floor and took Helena's hand pulling her to him. She hugged him and buried her head in his neck, purring.

"You have a cut on your brow," Barbara told Dinah.

"Nothing serious." The teen crossed her arms and sat on the mattress. "I'm worried about her."

"Yes, me too. We need to work again on that." Barbara looked at Helena. "Helena, come here."

The brunette turned her head towards her mentor.

"Come here, please." She patted the mattress indicating for her to sit next to Dinah.

"Go on, go with her." Reese pushed her gently.

Helena moved and sat on the mattress lowering her head. Barbara took her chin and raised her face. "Look at me, the thing that you did was not right," she said gently. "I want you to apologize to Dinah."

Helena grumbled.

"I want you to apologize to Dinah," Barbara repeated firmly taking Dinah's hand and showing it to Helena. "Give your hand to her, Dinah."

Helena moved her head and looked at Dinah's hand that was near her chest. She raised her head and her eyes locked on Dinah and then on Barbara. It seemed as the redhead wanted her to ask forgiveness from the blonde.

"Apologize, Helena," the redhead insisted.

Helena gazed at the hand in silence a few seconds; she lowered her head, licked Dinah's hand quickly and looked away.

"Ewwww!" The blonde girl pulled her hand back cleaning it on her pants. "That was disgusting!"

"No, Helena, that was not enough!" Barbara scolded. "I want you to apologize to her." She took Dinah's hand and moved it closer to Helena.

"No way! She licked my hand!" Dinah protested.

"Dinah!" Barbara glared at the blonde girl. "I need her to understand that she needs to apologize to you. She acted badly."

"But she licked my hand!"

"It's her way of apologizing! Please!"

"Oh, this is disgusting!" She made a face.

"You can wash it later."

Dinah moved her hand again to Helena. Reese tried to avoid laughing as he watched the scene. Helena looked like a scolded puppy and Dinah was funny.

Barbara turned to face the brunette again. "Helena, I'm waiting."

Helena looked at her; she didn't want do it. She mewled in protest.

"Apologize."

She didn't have a choice. She needed to do it; she moved her head again and licked Dinah's hand softly four times.

Dinah mad another a face. "Oh, Barbara..."

"That's much better, Helena." The red head said, smiling, and rubbed her hair. "Much better."

Helena moved and crawled to Reese, who was seated on the floor watching them. She buried her head in his neck again. He hugged her and smiled. "You did it well."

"May I go to wash my hand?" Dinah asked, raising her arm.

"Yes, go." Barbara sighed and smiled at Reese while the teen went to the bathroom. "I miss my old and peaceful breakfasts."

"I believe you." He laughed. "Maybe we can finish it now."

"Yea, maybe, come on."


	16. Marbles and pop tarts

_**Much of the time, we let our feelings rule our world. Sometimes this doesn't help and, instead, causes trouble. We must learn to not let them be the managers of our decisions. We can commit many mistakes and hurt someone that we love. We need to think before acting. Always. Helena didn't want to hurt Dinah, but she didn't know how to express her feelings. Even for us, people that think and talk, doing that is difficult, for her, it must have been next to impossible.**_

**__**

**_

* * *

_**

**__**

"Okay, so I moved this marble here and now I eat your pieces.." Dinah was in the living room, teaching Helena to play chinese checkers, while Barbara and Diana worked in the lab. She was on her knees next to the coffee table and Helena sat with her hands on the table watching her movements on the checkerboard.

"Urghh?" Helena saw how she moved the marbles over hers and how she moved forward.

"Yes, mine and you lost this piece. Now you must pay me with another poptart.." Helena watched as Dinah took a poptart from her side. Now she had seven and the blonde fifteen. "Now it's your turn."

Helena took the marble between her fingers and moved it a space.

Dinah smiled. "Wrong move, now I can use it as a stairway." The blonde moved her marble to the top of the game. "That cost you a pop tart and another one for being so bad at this game." Dinah said, as she took the frosted pastries from the brunette.

Helena grumbled. She was taking her poptarts. Why?

"Sorry, those are the rules."

Helena meowed in disgust.

"Dinah, don't cheat!" Barbara yelled from downstairs.

"We are playing," the teen explained, taking more poptarts from Helena's side.

"And you are not playing nice."

"Okay." Dinah gave the brunette back two poptarts. "Open your eyes, Hel. We will start again. But I'm not going to give you back any poptarts. You lost them."

Downstairs, Diana looked up. "How do you know she is cheating?" she asked the redhead.

"If it involves poptarts, those two always cheat. And now, surely, Dinah would be trying to take advantage of Helena." Barbara looked up, too. "Dinah, what are you teaching her to play?"

"Chinese checkers."

"Dinah! That is a hard game for her! Don't be opportunist."

"I asked her and she nodded."

"She doesn't know about what are you talking!" the red head said, exasperated "I'm going to punish you if you continue to bother her!"

"All right, all right." Dinah picked up the game. "Well, the game is over." She began to pick up all her poptarts on her plate.

Helena hissed. She wanted her food back. She had been eating it happily until the blonde had arrived with those round colored things: She guessed she wanted to play but she just wanted to steal her food..

"You lost. Be a good loser." Dinah smirked and tried to take another off Helena's plate.

The brunette pulled the few poptarts that she had left close to her, hissing again. She was not going to take the rest of her poptarts.

"Helena, you lost!" Dinah exclaimed in annoyance.

"Give her back her poptarts."

Dinah heard the voice of her mentor and rolled her eyes. She stood up and walked to the rail. "Barbara, she lost them."

"Dinah..." the tone of Barbara's voice was an order.

"Okay, okay." Dinah turned and saw Helena crouched on her plate with her poptarts in her hand. "Hey, give me those."

Helena ran as fast as she could to the kitchen.

"No way!" Dinah shouted. "Come back here!"

Brabara sighed when she heard the yells and the pounding steps upstairs going from side to side. She raised her head and looked up, resting her face on her hand, and saw her protégés running from one side to the other. Helena was jumping to prevent Dinah from catching her. She had all the poptarts in one hand and was eating with her free one. Dinah was trying desperately to trap her. She saw Helena crouching on her desk on the second floor.

"Helena, get down of my desk now!" Barbara took a deep breath.

The brunette jumped down and looked at Dinah, who stood up a few meters from her. She was persistent; she didn't leave her alone. Why did she want her food? Barbara had given it to her. She chewed another poptart.

"Helena! Don't do that!" Dinah yelled. "You are biting into them all!"

"How can you work with all that noise?" the princess asked, moving back in her chair. She was working at the microscope.

"Luckily, there are school days; Helena works at night and sleeps all day." She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"And Saturdays and Sundays?"

"Don't ask...just don't ask..." she looked up again.

Diana smiled.

Helena tried to move to her right and Dinah blocked her way. The brunette hissed; she licked a poptart and looked around for a way to escape.

"Don't do that, Helena!" Dinah shouted.

Helena looked at the blonde and then the poptart. She licked it again.

"No, Helena! That is disgusting!" She made a face.

Helena smirked, it seemed as if she didn't like that. She began to lick the poptarts in her hands.

"Barbara, she is slobbering on all of them!!!" Dinah yelled, running toward Helena, who jumped to avoid that being trapped.

"All right, that's enough, you two! Stop!" Barbara yelled.

Both girls stopped running and looked down. Helena was worried. The red head never shouted; she only did that only when she was really angry. She did not look friendly. She knew she was in trouble, but it wasn't her fault, the blonde wanted to steal her food.

"Dammit, Helena, we are in trouble now," Dinah whispered.

The brunette hissed at her, showing her teeth.

"Wash your mouth!" Dinah grumbled to her in annoyance. "You have cookies in all over your teeth and face! I'm glad of it, now surely Barbara is going to bathe you!"

Helena closed her mouth and cleaned it quickly with her sleeve. The red head didn't like to see her dirty and the bath was definitely not a nice option.

"Come here now!" Barbara shouted again.

Dinah moved her head and went to the elevator. Helena jumped down.

"I told you not jump over the rail." Barbara turned her wheelchair to the brunette. She waited a few seconds until Dinah arrived.

"So... What happened with you? I'm trying to work and you are acting like a child!"

Helena meowed to herself, happy to see the blonde was being scolded.

"And don't laugh, young lady!" Barbara glared at Helena.

"Urghhh?" Helena opened her orange irises wide.

"Yes, I'm talking to you too!" She pointed at her. "Why are you fighting over poptarts?"

Helena hid them behind her back.

"Give me the poptarts."

Helena hugged them against her meowing.

"Give me those now!"

She turned and quickly put one in her mouth. She watched Barbara out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm waiting.," the red head said, extending her hand expectantly.

She turned with her mouth closed to avoid chewing and put the poptarts in her hand. Barbara took them and made a face when she felt the drool. "What the....?" she muttered shaking one of her hands.

"I told you, she was slobbering all over them," Dinah said.

"Dinah, I want you to help me with her, please! Don't taunt her! That's it, that's it! No more poptarts for you two this week!"

Helena hissed forgetting she had the pastry in her mouth and she coughed.

Barbara glared at her. "And now what's wrong with you?"

The brunette couldn't stop coughing and took her hand to her chest.

"Maybe she's having a hairball attack. "Dinah grinned.

"Dinah!" Barbara patted Helena's back with her hand until she dislodged some pieces of poptart onto the floor.

"Blech...." the blonde frowned.

"Go get something to clean that, Dinah, and don't complain."

Dinah shook her head and went to look for a cloth. Helena coughed a bit more until she finally could breathe normally again. Diana watched them in amusement.

Alfred had heard them and walked in with a small tray. He gave Helena a glass of water. "You have such a sweet tooth." He put the tray on the table.

Helena drank the water as fast as she could. He smiled and gave Barbara an empty bag to put the poptarts in and a wet cloth to clean her hands, she disgustedly wiped her hands.

"Thanks, Alfred."

"Pleasure, Miss Barbara."

Dinah arrived with a mop and cleaned the floor. Helena was still coughing lightly.

"Dinah, I don't want to have to you again keep an eye on her and don't bother her." Barbara said.

"We were just playing."

"Do it, but do it with less noise. Helena, I don't want any more fighting." Barbara pointed at them. "Understand?"

"Yes." Dinah put the dirty napkins inside the empty bag.

"Now please, take her to your room and please, keep quiet."

The teen nodded and, grabbing Helena's hand, she went to the bedroom.

Barbara finished cleaning her hands and gave the wet cloth to Alfred, who smiled lightly. She looked at him and moved her hands. "I need to be firm, Alfred, you know that."

"Yes, you are."

Barbara glared at him. "Are you mocking me?"

"Never, Miss Barbara. I'm just impressed as to how you manage to punish them without laughing."

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Nothing. I admire your determination and your strength. It's hard to be firm with her, particularly with Miss Helena."

"I agree," the princess said, printing some results off the computer. "I, as Alfred said, admire how your decision to punish them is not affected by the humor of the situations in which they are involved."

"So... you both think I'm too hard on them." Barbara crossed her arms, she knew they were asking her, with their attitude, to be more flexible with the girls.

"Not too hard, firm." Alfred raised his brow.

"Diana?" The redhead turned to look at the princess.

"I agree, you are firm, very firm. That's good in... our job..." The amazon moved toward her moving her hands trying to express herself better. "Our job is hard... and we must be firm. If we are not firm... we can lose control or... be flexible and enjoy the funniest situations."

"All right, all right." Barbara exhaled wheeling toward her screen. "No more, I get it, I get it."

"Want some coffee?" he asked the princess, gently.

"Please." Diana winked at him.


	17. Fight

When they were in the doorway, Dinah pushed Helena's shoulder. "Great, you did it this time, nice work," she said.

Helena answered making noises in her throat. The red head was angry. It hadn't been her fault. Dinah had started it all and now she had lost her poptarts. They walked inside the bedroom, Helena sat on the mattress and meowed at the blonde.

"What do you want now?" The teen jumped on the mattress next to her resting her head on the pillow.

Helena meowed again and looked at the TV.

"All right, all right; I don't want to listen to your "growls." Dinah took the control and turned on the DVD. The Lion King appeared on the screen. "I don't know how you don't get bored of this. You've watched it 400 times." Dinah watched the TV. She was sick of watching that movie so many times; but Helena seemed to not be bored of it.

_Hakuna Matata!  
What a wonderful phrase  
Hakuna Matata!_

Dinah covered her head with the pillow. That was the worst part.

_It means no worries  
For the rest of your days  
It's our problem-free philosophy  
Hakuna Matata! _

Dinah watched Helena, who was moving lightly following the rhythm of the song in her place. Suddenly, Dinah grinned. She took the pillow and, hugging it, she moved on her stomach, resting her head at the foot of the mattress where Helena could see her. They watched the movie in silence.

_[Timon:] Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!_

_[Pumbaa:] Oh, sorry. _

The brunette suddenly felt something hit on her back. She turned. A small kleenex box was on the bed next to her. She turned back to the TV.

_Hakuna Matata! It means no worries  
For the rest of your days  
It's our problem-free philosophy_

Something crashed against Helena's back. She moved her head and saw a small perfume bottle on the mattress. She looked around. Nobody else was inside the room. She grumbled in annoyance, but the images on television caught her attention quickly.

_It means no worries For the rest of your days_

_Timon: {Not singing, doing a vaudeville knee-slide up to Simba} Yeah, sing it, kid!_

Helena giggled.

_Simba and Timon: It's our problem-free ..........._

_Pumbaa: {Landing next to them, with a flatulent sound} ..................... philosophy..._

A book crashed against her head and made her growl. Now that had hurt. She crouched in a defensive position on the bed.

"Helena, put your feet down! Your shoes are dirty!" Dinah turned to stare at her.

The brunette mewled in response.

"Helena, sit down and be quiet!"

Helena sat on the mattress again, keeping an eye out. After a few minutes, she forgot about the incident and was trapped in the cartoon movie. A teddy bear hit her back roughly. She growled angrily and turned, looking for the one that had hit her.

_Simba: Any antelope?_

_Timon: Na ah._

_Simba: {A bit desperate} Hippo?_

_Timon: Nope. Listen, kid; if you live with us, you have to_

_eat like us. Hey, this looks like a good spot to_

_rustle up some grub._

Dinah grinned and looked at a heavy book on the night table. Helena had her back to it. She winked and the book flew toward the brunette crashing against her head. The brunette took her hands to her head and turned, hissing.

Dinah couldn't avoid laughing, Helena jumped towards the closet and opened it looking for the intruder. Dinah hugged her stomach. It hurt to laugh so much. Helena jumped on the mattress and looked behind the headboard. She sat grumbling on the bed again. She looked at the blonde; she didn't know how, but she was sure she had done that.

"Hey, don't look at me I'm here," Dinah said, raising her hands. "Sit and watch your movie or I'll turn off the DVD."

Helena growled, watching the TV, but keeping an eye on her.

_Pumbaa and Timon: {Chanting to music} Hakuna matata,hakuna matata, hakuna matata._

_Simba: {Adult voice now.} It means no worries. For the rest of your days._

_All three: It's our problem-free Philosophy_

Dinah smiled. That had been the best part of the day. She crossed her arms over the pillow and rested her head on it. She looked out of the corner of eye at Barbara's eldest charge, who was disgusted because she didn't know who, or what was bothering her. Dinah closed her eye lids hard. Suddenly, the brunette felt someone pushing her firmly and she fell off bed, and landed with a thud on her back.

The teen laughed.

That was it,. Helena growled angrily, she knew the blonde was doing that somehow. She prepared to attack her. Dinah jumped back and stood up in t he doorway, pointing at her. "Don't do that! I didn't move a muscle and you know it! I'll tell Barbara and she'll be pissed!"

* * *

"This should work..." Barbara said, examining the last test on the screen of a chemical composition that they had finished.

"I think so, you improved it." Diana studied the screen, leaning on the back of Barbara's chair.

"The first antidote is okay for any normal human being. When I prepared it the first time, I never stopped to think that her meta cells would be predominant and neutralize the regular antidote. This time I'm sure it will work." Barbara took the compound that was in a testtube and looked at it. "Helena is becoming impatient, last night and this morning she was meowing at the elevator door. She wanted to go out. She could escape at any moment." She wheeled toward the cabinet and took out a syringe.

"We can use this serum against Circe's beasts?"

"Open that box in front of you." The red head pointed to a metallic box on a desk next to Diana. "It's a dart gun, it has ten shots and I mixed it with some tranquilizer because the antidote takes some time to work."

Suddenly, they heard noise downstairs at the department. Running steps, growls and laughs. Both looked up.

"The kids..." Diana said.

"Yes, the kids." Barbara sighed. "I can't deny that without those noises this place would feel empty and cold."

"Agreed."

"Alfred.... would you please bring Helena here?"

Helena opened her eyes wide when she saw the syringe in Barbara's hands. She hadn't done anything, it been the blonde. She turned, but Alfred was standing behind her. He smiled at her. "Sorry, Miss Helena, it's for your own good."

Diana took her hand and sat her on a chair. Helena glared at Dinah, she would pay for that.

"Hey, I didn't ask her to give you that," she said.

"That's true," Barbara said ,cleaning the her protég's arm with alcohol." The Delphi alert turned on in that moment. "Dinah, check to see what's going on while I inject this in Helena."

Dinah went toward the Delphi and pressed some keys. The princess moved toward her.

"Police report, problems in the north section of the city," Dinah said. "A guard reported some big animals inside the Johnstown laboratories. They have hostages."  
  
"Circe..." Diana mumbled.

Barbara removed her gloves and patted Helena. "See? Fast and it didn't hurt."

Helena licked her arm where Barbara had pricked her.

"I give up." The red head rolled her eyes and wheeled toward the lab. She pressed some buttons and opened a window. "I've got an image from the security camera." She pressed a button and some images appeared on the large screens near the top of the lab. They were from the inside of the laboratories. They could see many beasts there.

"Definitely Circe," the amazon said, and went to take the pistol. "She has hostages."

"Diana..." Barbara said turning toward her.

"I need to stop her now." Diana took the gun. Helena watched her and hissed. The amazon smiled and rubbed her head. "Don't worry, it's not for you, it's for them." She pointed at the screen. Helena raised her head and looked at it. She growled when she saw the animals on the monitors.

"I'll go," Dinah said.

"No, you stay here."

"I'll go," Dinah insisted.

The amazon turned and looked at Barbara. The red head nodded.

Diana gave the dart gun to the teen. "Be careful."

Barbara showed them both a map on the screen. Helena watched them in silence. She realized they were talking about the beasts. They were watching the images and pointing to them.

"Please keep in contact," Barbara said.

"Sure, come with me, Dinah.."

Helena watched the amazon and Dinah go to the balcony. That was not good. She looked at the screen again and the beasts; they could hurt her friends. She followed them.

"Helena, come here!" Barbara shouted.

"She can't go far," Alfred said to her.

"I'm not sure of that, bring her back."

Diana was on the balcony with Dinah, when Helena's growl made her stop. The amazon smiled. "Sorry, girl. We need to do this alone." She jumped into the night. Helena ran again toward her, but stopped at the cornice. It was high. She needed to follow her. She watched them go until they disappeared. She began to look around for where they had gone; they would be in danger.

"Miss Helena." Alfred said, taking her arm. "Come with me."

She ran inside the Clocktower, not paying attention to him. She went toward the elevator and began to meow and hit the door, trying to open it.

"Hey, Helena, easy!" Barbara said.

The brunette went toward stairwell door. It was looked too. She growled in annoyance.

"She wants to follow them," Alfred noted, walking inside.

"I know... Helena, stop!" She looked at Alfred "I think she feels something. Take her downstairs to her bedroom."

Alfred walked toward the elevator, she followed him, hopefully, and went inside. The elevator stopped at the apartment, a floor below; she jumped out and growled angrily, looking around. He had tricked her.

"I'm sorry, Miss Helena, good night."

She tried to get back in, but the door closed. She hit the closed door, trying to open it. Frantically, she began to look for an exit, but was unsuccessful; she returned to the elevator door and began to pull it apart with all her strength until she was finally able to open it a few inches; enough to move her head inside and look around. The elevator was not there. She looked down. It was a big, black hole. She pushed the door a bit more to csqueeze her body through it. She looked at the cables that were around the place and she jumped toward them. She grabbed them and began to descend slowly through the shaft.


	18. Huntress back

Circe had created an explosion in the chemical building. She waited patiently. She watched as her beasts were destroying the lab and keeping some people as hostages. The police tried to get to the building, but the eagles in the sky stopped them.

She needed to trap the amazon and had everything ready to finish her. Before she could keep going with her plans she needed to stop her first. She knew the only way to bring her down was to....

"Circe."

The sorceress smiled and turned around. "I've been waiting for you."

"And I was looking for you."

Circe raised her hand and threw a blast at her that the amazon blocked with her bracelets. Circe was almost hit by one of her own blasts. Diana moved back and Circe followed her.

* * *

Dinah looked up. The princess was distracting her. She shot a dart at the beast that was covering the hostages and it fell, unconscious, to the floor. She ran toward them.

"Hurry up," she said, indicating the exit. "We don't have much time." She heard a growl at her back. Immediately, she turned and shot twice toward an eagle and a big gorilla. She began to move back, shooting, trying to give the hostages time to run away.

"They are moving Oracle," she said through the mic.

::How is it going?::

"This is a zoo... there are so many." Dinah tried to shoot again, but the dart gun was empty, she tried to load it again, but she didn't have enough time. A kind of bear attacked her. She ducked and pushed it back with her telekinesis.

::The police are out helping the hostages.::

"That's good." Dinah kicked a beast with her feet and rolled on the floor. She stood up and saw she was circled by four big animals. "The situation here is a bit hostile."

* * *

"Seems as if Diana's destruction will require all my attention..." Circe smirked, throwing a powerful blast of energy at Diana, but the amazon stopped all her shots with her bracelets.  
  
She smashed the sorceress hard with her fist. "Stop this madness!" she shouted at her.  
  
Both women began to fight. Circe tried to hit her, unsuccessfully. One of the blows from the amazon made her crash her against a tree onto the ground. Wonder Woman was soon over her and took her by her shirt. "It's finished! Understand? It's finished!" she shouted.  
  
Circe glared at her. She really hated that woman. She felt that Diana's existence did her harm. She needed to stop her, one way or another. "That's what you think. You will die tonight."

* * *

Dinah had a hard time trying to keep the beasts away from her. They were too strong for her to fight hand to hand. She had knocked out four but more arrived.

:: Dinah, how are you?"::  
  
"A bit of trouble, nothing serious," she said trying to not worry her mentor. She used her telekinesis and threw a big bookcase over three beasts to stop them and get some time to escape. It worked, she turned and ran quickly. "Just tell me where the exit is."

::I see you, go to your right::

Dinah did as Oracle said. A hard blow hit her mbak making her fell to the floor. She rolled and saw over her a big panther with claws. Itt tried to bit her and she used her leg to kick it jaw.

:: Dinah move to your right::

The teen stood up and punched the panther, but it didn't move and scratched her with its claw. She felt a sharp of pain in her side and stepped back holding her waist. She heard another growl behind her back and, before she could turn, something grabbed her by her waist and began to squeeze her stomach. She struggled trying to free herself. Another gorilla was holding her and she couldn't breathe.

:: Dinah...:: she heard the worried voice of the red head.

"Oracle..." she gasped. The panther raised its hand and growled loudly. She closed her eyes waiting for the last blow.

* * *

Circe and the amazon were in a close match. The wizard raised her hand and shot another powerful firebolt. The amazon avoided it again. The sorceress, frustrated, flew toward the outside of the laboratories. Diana followed her.

"Stop or I will kill them!!" she shouted, pointing at police and hostages down below.

"You can't do that!" the princess yelled, looking down. She couldn't prevent the fatal blast from hitting the innocent people.

"You know I can."

"Circe, they are people!" A tail coiled around Diana's neck, choking her. She put her hands on her throat trying to free herself.

* * *

Dinah heard a loud thud and a familiar animalistic grunt. She opened her eyes. Helena was attacking the panther with all her fury. She tried to free herself and, looking up, she closed her eyes and managed to make a heavy locker fall on the gorilla that was holding her. It released her. She fell breathlessly to the ground.

:: Dinah, do you copy?::

The teen raised her head and watched the brunette knocking the panther around and charging against the other beast. "Huntress is here..." she gasped.

::What???::

"She is here..." Dinah coughed and kneeled on the floor.

* * *

"She was on the lower floor. I left her there," Alfred said, worried.

Oracle turned on the screen and looked at the images from the apartment. She began to examine all the rooms. She was not there. She turned on localizator, She had put the necklace on Helena. The signal showed her to be at the chemica; factory. "Dammit... she escaped, I don't know how, but she did it..."

::She saved me...:: Dinah coughed.

"Keep an eye on her Dinah."

* * *

Diana was struggling, trying to free herself from the tail that was constricting around her throat, when a powerful energy blast struck her in the face, knocking her out. She was knocked out immediately. The beast released her and she fell on to the rooftop a few meters below.  
  
Circe cleaned a bit of blood from her lip and stood up, looking at the princess lying on the ground. "I have been busy for days, preparing the ritual to end your life, that day is coming. Bring her to me!!" she ordered.  
  
The beast loaded Diana in its arms.

* * *

Huntress crouched in a defensive position, preparing to launch a new attack on the beasts, but it seemed as if she had finished with all of them.

"Huntress." Dinah went toward her and touched her shoulder. The brunette grunted, annoyed, still waiting for another attack. "It's okay, they're all gone. Oracle, it's okay."

Huntress raised her head and she saw that the beasts had her friend, the tall woman. She growled in annoyance and jumped to the roof top.

"Huntress, wait!" Dinah yelled.

::What's going on?:: Barbara asked.

"Circe has Diana. Huntress saw it and is following her. Dammit! I need back up..." she said, grabbing her arm. It hurt and was bleeding profusely. "I'm hurt."

* * *

"I'll be there in a few, Dinah" Oracle took the keys to the Hummer and turned to Alfred. "Emergency, I need the batcopter, now."

The old man nodded.  
  
::Do you think the chopper will fly after all these years.?:: Dinah asked through the comm.  
  
"Alfred keeps the equipment in working order all year, don't worry," Oracle answered, putting a comm. unit on her heard to keep in contact with the blonde.  
  
::Do you know how to fly it?::  
  
::I hope I remember it well.:: Barbara gave Alfred a laptop and wheeled toward the elevator.  
  
::But in the chopper you have to use your feet. ::  
  
"That's a minor problem."  
  
::Maybe now you'll think about my suggestion to buy one.:: Dinah said, hopefully.

"Maybe," Oracle responded, as the door of the elevator closed behind her and Alfred.

* * *

Huntress raised her nose. She was in the middle of a forest. After a few minutes, she was able to find her trail again. Yes, her smell was unique. She began to run through the trees, following it. The beasts were really fast and she needed to hurry so as not to lose them.  
  
Circe and her beasts arrived at a distant cave on the top of a mountain near New Gotham. Huntress had a hard time following them; she climbed up the sheer side of the mountain, burying her fingers in the small holes between the rocks. She stumbled a couple of times, but her sense to keep going was strong. Her feet slipped easily because it was hard to find a place to support her weight.  
  
She finally arrived at the top. It was a cave. She crouched on the floor and sniffed. She moved inside trying to not make any noise. It took her several minutes to find the scent of her friend and follow it.  
  
The smell took her through the corridors. She was careful not to be seen by Circe's beasts. The place was dark and just lighted with torches on the walls. She finally found her. She on the floor, inside a cage and was unmoving.  
  
A beast was in front of the cell. Without hesitation, she charged against it. The beast was bigger than she, but she was agile and fast. She knocked it out with two fast movements. Huntress reamined crouched a few seconds, looking around before moving to the bars. She took it between her hands and began to make soft noises to call her friend's attention; the woman didn't move. She didn't like this place; just being there made her feel uncomfortable. She called her again with a growl, unsuccessfully.  
  
She began to pull the metal bars to the side and, in a few seconds, she opened a small space through which she could pass. She went to her friend and sniffed her. Something was wrong. She moved her with her hand and growled softly, but the woman didn't answer her.  
  
She wanted to leave that awful place, but she needed to wait for her. She crouched next to her for several minutes, waiting patiently for her, vigilant, keeping her eyes open, maybe the bad animals would be back again.  
  
After a few minutes, Diana began to recover her senses. She fought against the blackness that was enveloping her. Slowly, she stirred, calling the girl's attention. She opened her eyes and looked at the girl, who was watching her and grunting softly.

"Helena...?" she mumbled, sitting on the floor rubbing her head. It hurt like hell. Circe had attacked her behind her back.

She was okay, the brunette happily moved next to her. Now maybe they could leave there. Diana smiled and brushed her hair. "Why are you here?"

Helena growled softly and, taking her hand, she pulled her gently to the exit. She wanted to leave that place. Diana stood up still feeling dizzy.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here???" Circe shouted from the entrance of the cave.  
  
Huntress growled. That woman was there.

"Damn Girl!" Circe shouted.  
  
Huntress, annoyed, tried to jump against her, but the princess held her. Circe easily would hit her with her magic and hurt her.  
  
"Stay calm!" she ordered, and pushed the girl behind her back. The brunette was furious and growled. "Calm down!" The amazon grabbed her by her arm.  
  
"I see that young lady is insistent," Circe said, looking at the bent metal bars. "And strong... very strong. Is she an amazon too?"  
  
"That's not your problem." Diana prepared to attack. She looked for her lasso on her waist and she noticed it wasn't there.  
  
"Come on, your highness." Circe laughed. "I suggest you stay calm. Maybe you can stop one of my shots... But could you stop two at the same time?" she raised her hands, one pointing at her and other at Helena.  
  
Diana stepped back. 

"Well done, princess." The witch raised her hand and created a magic barrier in front of the bars. "Just a few more minutes, princess, and I'll be back. Bye, kitten..."  
  
Huntress jumped towards Circe.  
  
"No!" Diana shouted.  
  
The brunette hit the magic barrier hard and bounced back. Pissed, she stood up and charged against the barrier again.  
  
"Hey, she is brave." Circe laughed. "I need to think of something special for her." The sorceress turned and exited the room.  
  
Huntress smashed her fists hard against the invisible barrier. Diana grabbed her by her waist and pulled her back. "Enough, Huntress! Stop! I said stop!!"  
  
The brunette freed herself from the woman's grip and, grumbling, began to pace. She didn't like to be locked up, she hated to be caged. She felt that woman wanted to hurt them. She didn't like it.  
  
"Helena," Diana called her, but the girl didn't answer, she was furious and annoyed. She kept pacing looking through the door. "Huntress, listen to me!"  
  
The girl ran, unexpectedly, against the magic wall once more and smashed her side against it, trying to break it; she bounced, falling backwards and increasing her rage. Before she could stand up, Diana held her down. "I said stop!!"  
  
The brunette snorted.  
  
"I need you to calm down." Diana said with a firm voice. "I need to figure out how to escape from here. I don't want you to do anything stupid. Understand? Keep quiet!"  
  
Huntress, in bad mood, moved back and sat on the floor; she didn't like this. She wanted to attack; that woman was bad and they were trapped. Why didn't she want to attack?

Diana looked at the brunette and kneeled in front of her. "I know you don't like this, I don't like it either, but I don't want them to hurt you."  
  
Huntress grunted again in disgust, avoiding her look.

Diana brushed her hair and smiled. "Hey, look at me."

Her voice was calming, peaceful, she didn't understand why, but it was. In a bad mood, she met her eyes.  
  
"Trust me," Diana said "I haven't lied to you, right? Trust me." Huntress mewled and shuffled close to share her warmth, burying her head in the woman's neck.  
  
She hugged her and looked around. She needed to find a way to escape. Circe would kill them both.


	19. Circe's magic

* * *

Alfred turned on the lights in the batcave. Being front of the batcopter was a strange sensation; it had been many years since the last time that she had seen it. Barbara never ceased to marvel at that place. It was as if the years left the place untouched.  
  
Alfred helped her to climb in the chopper. Oracle locked her seat belt over her waist. Alfred sat next to her, in the pilot's seat.  
  
"Is it ready?" the red head asked.  
  
"Always.. I'm a prudent man."  
  
"I'm glad to hear it."  
  
"Just like old times," he said.  
  
Barbara smiled and turned on her laptop. "Not too old."  
  
"I agree with that. Oh, my, I forgot my eyeglasses."  
  
Barbara raised her brow and looked him with wide eyes.  
  
"Just a joke." He smirked.

* * *

Diana looked for an exit but was unsuccessful. She tried to figure a plan, but Circe had designed her trap well. She looked at Huntress, she had been quiet for more than ten minutes. The girl had her back against the wall. She noticed her breathing quickly.  
  
She kneeled at her side.  
  
"Are you okay?" She took her chin between her hands. The girl answered with a soft groan, half opening her eyes. Diana saw her feral pupils were dilated and her eyes had a yellow color. She touched her forehead, it was cold, very cold. "Don't worry, must be the antidote." Diana said in low voice. "It's normalizing your meta cells." She brushed her hair gently and smiled at her. The girl closed her eyes again.  
  
A powerful blast smashed against Diana's back and she cried out. She felt her body breaking in a thousand of pieces and passed out falling over Huntress.  
  
"Sorry, I don't want any risks." Circe grinned, walking inside the cell.  
  
Huntress growled angrily. She didn't like anyone hurting her friend. With great effort, she jumped toward Circe. The sorceress heard her and raised her hand in time to shoot her with a blast of energy. Huntress smashed her back roughly against the rock wall and slipped into unconsciousness on the ground.  
  
"Dammit." Circe mumbled angrily. She ordered her beasts. "Take them to the place, now!!! We don't have time. We need to start the ceremony."  
  
Two of the beasts dragged both women out of the cell.

* * *

Dinah sat in the back seat. Barbara turned to her. "Let me see that wound."  
  
"We need to find Huntress first."  
  
"I have her signal, I left the necklace on her as a precaution so I'd know where she was if she escaped."  
  
"Do you have a license to drive this thing, Alfred?" the teen asked, closing the door.  
  
"Well, I don't understand why the DMV revoked my driver's lisence. I'm just sixty-five."  
  
"So do you don't have a license to drive a car?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Since when?"  
  
"Don't ask, Miss Dinah."  
  
"And if you don't have a driver license, I'm sure that you don't have a pilot's license."  
  
"Right." He winked at her.  
  
"Hey guys, ever noticed that we are crime fighters and that we break the law often?"  
  
"No comments, Dinah," Barbara said.

* * *

She knew she needed to wake up. The pain was intense, she needed to fight against it. She needed to regain consciousness. She opened her eyes, feeling her lids close again. It hurt to swallow. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think. She was in a cave, a big one and she was lying inside a hole filled with clay, just her head was out of it. She tried to move but her hands and legs were restrained, spread eagle with her magic lasso, and her body wasn't responding.  
  
"Welcome, your highness." Circe said, preparing her sacrifice ritual. She was mixing ingredients inside a cup. "You've recovered already. I really underestimated your power. Make yourself comfortable. This ritual brewing will take me a few minutes." Circe laughed and looked at the amazon. "I couldn't kill you out right. That might fulfill the prophecy as well. Those Gods can be pretty tricky. I had to ponder your conundrum carefully. This is my answer. The nostrum of regression." She raised the cup "I'll send you back to your original clay form."  
  
Diana saw Huntress hanging unconsciously from the ceiling of the big cave. Circe had chained her to the ceiling.  
  
"Don't worry about your friend," the sorceress said. "As soon as I finish with you, she will be the next."  
  
Diana closed her eyes, she needed to recover, the power of the wizard was strong and she still felt so numb.  
  
Huntress felt pressure on her wrists. It hurt, she opened her eyes and blinked. She must be dreaming. She was hanging from a ceiling; her hands chained over her head, and she had an iron collar around her neck, attached with a long chain to her wrists. She examined the place. She was inside a big cave and she could see down a hole with mud. A chill ran down her spine; lying in the mud was Diana, her head was barely visible, and she didn't look well. A woman was standing up, mixing ingredients inside a strange cup pronouncing Greek words. Around the place, that was like a big circle, were some of Circe's beast. Where the hell was she? She didn't remember anything, but it seemed she would have to investigate it later. Being chained wasn't a good thing. She surely had pissed off the sorceress and she needed to escape. She pulled her restraints, trying to break them.  
  
Circe turned her head when she heard the chains moving. "Hey, you are awake. Don't worry little girl, the chains are unbreakable, they were forged by Ares, the God of War; save your energy. Keep you strength for when your time comes."  
  
Now Huntress was extremely worried, that thing about Gods and monsters wasn't her favorite topic, and it seemed it was not just fantasy. She pulled again unsuccessfully "Who the hell are you?" Huntress grumbled in annoyance to the sorceress.  
  
"Princess of Themyscira's executor, and yours too." Circe laughed. "I see you don't know me, little girl." Circe faced her raising her head. "I was once the princess of Colchis, but my traitorous subjects killed my weakling husband. So I found refuge on an Island and I swore I would use my magic and potions to avenge myself on the inferior people who dared to stand against me!!"  
  
"And people say I'm the weird one." Huntress looked for a way to escape. The amazon seemed to be groggy and her situation wasn't any better than her own.  
  
Circe mixed the last ingredients inside her cup. "Unfortunately, my sorcery was ineffective beyond Aeaea. So I used the seductive songs of the Sirens to lure wayward seafarers to my lair. Those who survived the jagged rocks, faced me. I made them beg for the comfort of death, as you will do it in a few... But it wasn't enough, I wanted more power, I needed it. I would have sold my soul for it."  
  
"I'll recommend you my psychiatrist."  
  
"Shut up, you insolent girl!" The sorceress threw a ball of magic at her that hit her in the chest. The girl grunted; that had hurt. "Hecate answered my prayers! I was to be the instrument of her vengence against the Gods who wronged her and the humanity that worshipped them! She made me a proposition. To attain immortality, eternal beauty and incredible power, all that I needed to do was to trade our souls!"  
  
Huntress recovered quickly after the blast and shook her head. Circe smirked at her.  
  
"I found that to be a most agreeable exchange. Her last words were rather cryptic: 'Upon the death of a witch and the birth of a witch, Hecate, by name and choice, shall reposses her soul' With a blinding blast of mystic flame, Hecate's withered husk and my unholy soul burned to ashes... And from those new ashes was born a new glorious Circe! Me!!!".  
  
"Very nice. The Exorcist, Part III" Huntress mocked.  
  
"Laugh stupid girl; you will pray for death in a few minutes. My terror grew so widespread in Colchis, I developed the Bestiamorph, transforming men into beast and every man feared that any woman he met could be Circe, mate suspected mate. Suspicion beget hatred and hatred beget violence. You see, Hecate felt betrayed by both sexes, so both sexes had to suffer. As long as men and women distrusted each other, there could be no peace.. man used his physical strength to dominate while woman learned that sex itself was a formidable weapon. It was when the amazons were born."  
  
"Dammit... that was a history lesson, I hate history." Huntress raised her head and examined the chains. She needed to think fast.  
  
"Laugh, laugh, girl." Circe took her potion. "As soon as I finish with her, I'll finish with you." Circe went to the platform with the potion between her hands. The wizard began to speak in greek.  
  
My potion is ready, it's mixed with the mud around you, it will start to change you. You'll feel the earth mingling with you, become one with you.... Degenerating you, reverting you back to the clay from which you were formed, back to non-existence.. And that, your royal highness will be that.  
  
Hunteess didn't understand a word but that sounded bad, she kept fighting but it seemed that bitch was right, she couldn't break the chains.  
  
Circe, I'm not your enemy. the amazon said to her.  
  
That doesn't matter now, your time is over. Circe began to pour the potion over the mud where Diana was. After empty it, she moved back. Hecate, I give to you this woman... now she is yours...."  
  
"I need to learn Greek... What are you doing to her?" Huntress interrupted, feeling she didn't have much time, she pulled again.  
  
Circe watched in amusement as she tried, unsuccessfully, to break the chains. "I'm going to reverse her to her original form: clay. I have ruled from my Island for centuries, my corrupt influence has spread throughout the world. So pervasive and subtle is it that many of the vice merchants who run my operations don't even know that they serve me. In fact, only my immediate subjects knew I even existed... until this amazon came along."  
  
Diana began to feel numb, a strange tickle began to crawl over all her skin.  
  
"People listened to her!" Circe shouted. "That damned amazon philosophy! Despite my efforts, her words reached even here!!" Suddenly the mood of the wizard changed, she turned angry. "Those who listened began to see the truth about the witch on the Island... they began to resent me, to hate me!! They sought to destroy me!. When some of my beasts rebelled. I had to kill them. Because of her, the rebellion grew!!."  
  
"I see, leadership crisis." Huntress grunted, she looked out of the corner of her eye at Diana, her eyes fluttered, she didn't look well. Time was up.  
  
The amazon felt her body getting heavy and her mind becoming foggy as she saw flashes of light in front of her eyes.  
  
"Right, I can't break the chains," Huntress said, grabbing them with her hands "But I can break the ceiling." she flipped, so that her feet were on the ceiling and pushed hard.  
  
A sleepy sensation began to fill the senses of the amazon, she couldn't keep her eyes open. Circe smiled crossing her arms as she watched her. "Now, the mud and you begin to transform into just... one thing."  
  
Huntress pulled as hard as she could, the rock began to crack. "Come on!" she growled, with a last pull, a big part of the ceiling broke and she fell down. The sound make Circe turn her head. She and the beasts ran to avoid being smashed by the rocks. Some of it fell over her potions and they exploded.  
  
Huntress fell in the mud, next to Diana. Many rocks fell around her. She looked at the princess "You called?" But she seemed to be out cold. "Yes, I guess so." Huntress began to clean the mug around Diana's arms quickly to free them.  
  
Diana opened her eyes and looked at Huntress, but she couldn't react, she was in shock. Huntress saw the princess was restrained with her own golden lasso. Huntress began to undo the knots as fast as she could before Circe attacked her again. She was marveled by herself, she never had been good undoing them. In a few seconds, she was able to free her.  
  
"Can you stand up?" she asked the amazon, but her eyes were blank. "Okay, that means "no"." Huntress knew she was in bad condition, she needed to move her out of there. She picked up the lasso and loading the amazon over her shoulder, she jumped out of the mud, just as a blast of energy blasted the hole.  
  
"Stop her!" Circe shouted.  
  
Huntress kicked a beast, moving it out of her way, and ran through the corridors as fast as she could. The cave began to collapse, killing the beasts.  
  
Huntress ran, staggering through the corridors. It was hard to run with her hands still restrained and the amazon on her shoulder, and she didn't feel so well either. She hid in a small part of the cavern. "Diana? Can you hear me?" she asked, but she didn't get a response; she began to clean the mud that was covering the princess body. "Are you all right?"  
  
The princess half opened her eyes and looked at her.  
  
"We need to go, can you stand up?" Huntress asked, trying, unsuccessfully, to unlock her chains.  
  
The princess shook her head.  
  
"Okay. So, we need to leave here before that bitch finds us." Huntress couldn't break the chains and looked around. Suddenly, she remembered her necklace and touched it. "Oracle, do you copy?"  
  
::Huntress? Are you alright?:: Barbara couldn't hide her emotion.  
  
"I am... but the princess, not so much, she looks bad. I don't know where we are..."  
  
::You are in Green Mountain, a few kilometers out of New Gotham. We are flying toward it. What's wrong with Diana?::  
  
"Circe used a spell on her to revert her to clay, I moved her out but she doesn't look well. Now Circe is looking for us." Huntress heard fingers tapping on a keyboard "To your right, go to your right, there is the exit. Get her out of there."  
  
"Got it." Huntress loaded the amazon over her shoulder again and ran towards the exit. She found it and walked outside the cave; the sky was full of stars.  
  
::I'll be there in 10 minutes.::  
  
A blast hit Huntress' back. Luckily, it smashed against the belt of the amazon and it just pushed them making them fall forward. Huntress stood up as fast as she could.  
  
"Stupid girl!" Circe groaned. "I'll kill you! You screwed it all up!" She shot a powerful energy ball at her. Huntress jumped to avoid it and began to move quickly to avoid her energy balls and to move her far from the unmoving amazon.  
  
The sorceress raised her hands and spoke again in Greek: I call you Hecate, give me the power and the strength to kill this mortal!  
  
Huntress didn't understand a word but she knew it was best to run. She hid behind a tree that burned under the power of the sorceress. She jumped down, but before she could land on the ground, a bright light covered her, she cried and smashed hard against the rocks.  
  
Circe laughed loudly, flying over her. Die!!  
  
Huntress felt her skin burning and grunted in pain.  
  
You will be just ashes. Circe shouted angrily. Beg for a fast death!!  
  
"Huntress, what's going on?" Barbara felt her heart beating faster when she heard her scream.  
  
Dinah looked at her, worried.  
  
"Huntress? Huntress, are you all right?" Barbara waited a few seconds and touched Alfred's shoulder. "Hurry up!"  
  
"Beg for a fast death or I'll let it consume you slowly and painfully!" Circe smirked walking toward Huntress, who was curled up on the floor trying to endure the energy blast.  
  
The girl crawled on the floor trying to move far from the death light, but it followed her, she stumbled down. Her clothes began to smoke.  
  
"It's your last chance, beg for a fast death!!" Circe shouted.  
  
Huntress tried to stand up again, she was on fire.  
  
"Damn, stubborn girl!" 


	20. Back to home

The magic lasso fell over Circe in that moment. "Stop it!" She heard the voice of the amazon. "I order you stop it."  
  
Circe glared at Diana, annoyed, knowing she had lost. She couldn't avoid obeying the orders of the golden rope. Diana had managed to stand up and trap her, taking advantage of her distraction with Huntress. The sorceress raised her hands and the the shining light disappeared. Huntress rolled on the floor, moaning.  
  
"This is finished, Circe!" Wonder Woman shouted at the sorceress. "Stop this madness!! You've got the blood of Gods running through your veins and you abuse your power and wreck lives, causing people pain!!"  
  
"I'm not afraid of you!!! I hate you!!! I hate your hypocrisy and your pious niceties. Preaching values the amazons and the Olympians barely comprehend—standing as a pinnacle for people who are as naive as you, who actually believe that you're as good as you think you are!!! Who refuse to understand that people are animals and crave the world of sin I'd give them!"  
  
"Olympus as my witness, I'll keep struggling to make this world a more loving place, because I think it's better than your world of malice and hate and murder. I order you to return to your Island and never to return. Go back to your island, go back with your daughter."  
  
Circe clenched her teeth. "I blame you, amazon. We will meet again."  
  
"Hopefully, no time soon."  
  
A light ball covered her and she disappeared. Diana fell to her knees, she was exhausted; Huntress felt the chains that were restraining her disappear, she remained unmoving a few seconds trying to recover her breath.  
  
Wonder Woman stood up and flew toward the brunette. "Are you okay, kid?" she asked.  
  
Huntress winced in pain.  
  
"Easy..."  
  
"My whole body burns... but I'll be okay. And you?... How are you?"  
  
"I'm okay... just a bit weak, thanks." Diana said crouching next to her.  
  
The girl rubbed her arms and looked around. "Where did she go?"  
  
"She can't refuse the orders of my lasso. It's over. She is back on her island."  
  
"Why don't you order her to be a nice witch?".  
  
Diana laughed and sat next to her "I wish..."  
  
"What happened?" Huntress asked. "I don't remember anything..."  
  
"Long story, you don't want to know."  
  
"It was that bad?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Why did she want to transform you into clay?"  
  
"I was formed from the clay of Paradise Island and brought to life by the powers of the Goddesses Artimes, Hestia, Aphrodite, Athena, Persophon and Hermes. She thought it would be possible to take the magic that gave me life away and revert me to clay. She just found the way to do it."  
  
"Nice. Can you walk?" Huntress shook her head.  
  
"Give me a few minutes... let me catch my breath."  
  
They heard a helicopter and a light covered them.  
  
::Are you okay?:: They heard Barbara's voice.  
  
"Yes... Where did you get a chopper?" Huntress asked.  
  
::You don't want to know...::  
  
"That's the second time that I've heard that sentence; Now I'm worried. What has been happening?"  
  
Diana smiled at her. "I promise to tell you everything later."

* * *

_**It was marvelous to realize that Huntress' instinct to protect people was still in her, regardless of the fact that she was acting like an irrational person. It made me see her big heart, a big heart that she hides behind her rudeness and bad manners to avoid being hurt. A heart that drove her to fight and not stop.  
  
I still marvel at how Barbara could see through that wall that Huntress built around herself. She knew what was inside her, and that moved her to take care of her and train her. Now every time that I see her I don't see the bad and rebellious girl that impressed me when I first met her. Now I see a very sensible, but strong woman that loves to love and be loved.**_  
  
**_She has a hero's heart._**

**__**

**__**

* * *

**__**

The next evening, Barbara and Diana were in her room, she was packing. She needed to go to keep her work as ambassador and hero. Barbara felt a bit sad, it had been a few but very intense days with her. Diana was saddened as well.. They had become closer in those few days than in the last ten years. Not just as heroes, as people, as friends.  
  
"Are you sure you feel okay?" the red head asked the princess.  
  
"Yes, the potion didn't penetrate my skin... Huntress saved my life just in time."  
  
"I'm happy for that."  
  
"How did she know that we were at the chemical factory?"  
  
"She saw where you went when you flew out of the Clocktower. Cats have a strong sense of orientation. That and the smell I guess. I can't be sure. But I'm glad she did it."  
  
"Yes, me too."  
  
"Do you know Barbara?" Diana sat on the mattress. "In the beginning I couldn't understand how you and Huntress could get along, being so different. But... in her feral state, I watched how she followed you and how she looked for you. It was touching... she was exteremely strong, she could have easily done whatever she wanted here, but... she always respected you. And wanted your approval. I discovered a marvelous girl. The one that you worry about. The one that would give her life for anyone, if you asked. That impressed me."  
  
"We just were partners of our own misfortune; we had to learn to live with each other and I think that the pain made us stronger and very close."  
  
"You are fighters."  
  
"Yes, we are all fighters." Barbara smiled.  
  
Diana kept silent a few seconds before looking at her. "Is she better now?"  
  
"Yes, thank God." The redhead smiled "Sleeping without her purring on my back was marvelous. She is okay now, thanks to you."  
  
"I'm glad for it... I think she has been avoiding me all day. I don't think that she feels comfortable with me yet. We were best friends when she was primal." She smiled with sadness.  
  
"Oh... Helena is that way," Barbara touched her arm knowing how she felt. She had spent much time with her over the last week, helping her learn and comforting her. "She usually is not warm, but I'm sure she likes you. I talked with her last night and I told her what happened. She was surprised and... I think that it's hard for her to believe much of it because she doesn't remember anything."  
  
"Don't worry, Barbara, I know I can's expect everyone to feel comfortable with me." Diana touched her shoulder. "Humans feel and think different, all of us have different personalities."  
  
"Agreed, but I'm sure she appreciates you now. Believe me."  
  
I knew the ordeal had been hard for Helena. It was too much to ask her to understand in just one day and to accept that I had helped her even though she had been rude when I arrived here. I really had developed an affection for the girl. In her feral state, she had been like a kitten looking for love. But now, she was herself again... and I couldn't force her to accept me.  
  
She was the daughter of one of my best friends. I really wanted know her a bit more and be her friend.

* * *

Helena had been singing the Hakuna Matata song under her breath all day, and she didn't understand why. Dinah had just smiled when she heard her doing that. The blonde was rubbing Helena's back with burn cream in the lab; The burns hadn't been bad but they were itchy, like a sunburn after a sunny day on the beach. She was lying on her stomach with her head resting on her arms.  
  
"You must be joking," she said.  
  
The blonde girl shook her head. "Pretty hot."  
  
Helena covered her eyes with her hands.  
  
"He was very embarrassed," Dinah explained. "You should call him."  
  
"Crap."  
  
"Don't say that word."  
  
"Who else knows?" She looked at Dinah "Barbara?"  
  
"Embarrassed." Diana finished to with her back and closed the cream tube.  
  
"Damn... the princess?"  
  
"She laughed a lot. I'm finished, stand up."  
  
Helena sighed and rolled her eyes. She froze a second and glared at the teen. "Alfred?"  
  
"He laughed too."  
  
"How could you tell him??" Helena shouted, sitting on the stretcher.  
  
"Hey, this place is small, and you were a pain in the ass, it was impossible for him not to know what were you doing."  
  
"Shit!!!"  
  
"Oh Helena, it was funny. You should have seen Reese's face."  
  
"How do you expect me to look at any of them in the eye ever again??"  
  
"They were just your primal instincts." The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "Not your fault... at all."  
  
"That's the problem, they'll think that I'm that way inside."  
  
"Well..." Dinah grinned. "... you are"  
  
"Not funny." Helena stood up. "Now how can I face Reese?"  
  
Dinah looked at her nails. "Well, I'm sure that he would be happy if you acted the same way, but in your five senses, and of course in another place."  
  
"This is the worst thing that has ever happened!"  
  
"Hey, it wasn't nearly as bad for you as it was for us. Let me put it to you this way: you were very friendly and funny but a pest at dinner and at night."  
  
"Dinah..." Helena sighed, looking for her coat.  
  
"Hey, I'm joking." Dinah watched her in silence for a few seconds. "Seriously, Princess Diana leaves tomorrow, you have kept your distance from her all day, why?"  
  
"I've never been close to her."  
  
"She was very nice to you all those days. You loved to be with her."  
  
"I don't remember anything."  
  
"It was you, you can't deny it!" Dinah said, a bit angry "You may not remember, but you can feel it! She spent hours trying to understand you and to make feel you better. We couldn't and she taught us to do it, to understand a sound or read your look. You only grunted and growled."  
  
Huntress put her coat on. "Okay, what do you want?"  
  
Dinah exhaled and moved her head. She couldn't believe it. "I don't want anything. I just wish that you would be friendly. She leaves tomorrow and you haven't said a word to her since we got back here last night."  
  
"Don't be dramatic. I'm just catching up on what happened." The brunette knew she had acted like an irrational person; it made her angry and ashamed of herself. She couldn't understand how she couldn't have control over herself. It was all jumbled inside her mind.  
  
"Helena, it's not about me, it's about you and what she did for you. It's just about feelings. Just feel it." Dinah sighed and went to the kitchen. "I hate when you are so stubborn."  
  
Helena rolled her eyes. Dinah was pissed now. She followed her. "Dinah, come here." The blonde ignored her. She moved upstairs with Helena following her. Helena grabbed her arm in the kitchen doorway.  
  
"What do you want?" Dinah asked.  
  
"I can't remember!" Helena said, almost exasperated.  
  
"Let me help you, you were a very grateful and nice person when we could see what's inside you, than when you're back to normal, you keep hiding yourself from us!"  
  
"I'm not hiding from anyone!"  
  
"Yes, yes, keep telling yourself that." Dinah opened a cabinet and took a bag of poptarts.  
  
"Dinah, I accept you like you are, why are you try to change me?" Helena watched her and went to the cabinet looking for another bag but the cabinet was empty.  
  
"I'm not trying to change you, being nice to a person that helped you is against your own rules?"  
  
"Damn!" Helena sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She had too many blurred images in her head to stop to think of that. She needed time. "Give me one."  
  
"What?" Dinah frowned opening the bag.  
  
"Give me one poptart there aren't anymore," the brunette explained.  
  
"No way, you slobbered on them all and Barbara had to put them in the trash."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You screwed up the last box. Not my fault."  
  
"Hey, come on, Dinah, you have two, give me one," Helena pleaded.  
  
Dinah moved the poptarts behind her back. "No..."  
  
"Dinah..."  
  
"Helena."  
  
The brunette tried to take one and the teen ducked. Helena looked at her trying to regain the control. "Is this because you are mad with me?"  
  
"With the stubborn and ungrateful Helena? No."  
  
Helena made an attempt to take the poptart and failed again. "Dinah, I don't remember, give me time! I'm confused, please!"  
  
Dinah glared at her.  
  
"Just give me time... okay?"  
  
Dinah thought about it a few seconds "Okay."  
  
"Now... will you give me one?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because they are mine!"  
  
"Dinah, I told you..."  
  
"I know, and I'm glad to hear it but that is not a poptarts matter. Barbara bought a box and you licked all of them; no one could eat them. I just saved this bag and it's mine."  
  
Helena tried to grab her hand, but Dinah moved back and ran behind the kitchen table. She swung the bag in front of her, taunting the brunette.  
  
"Dinah..." Helena grumbled.  
  
"Mine, mine, mine, they're mine..." the teen sang.  
  
Helena tried to catch her and failed. Dinah giggled.  
  
"Just one... don't be selfish!" Helena said.  
  
"Never!" Dinah ran outside the kitchen followed by the brunette.  
  
Diana and Barbara were downstairs watching the scene from the lab.  
  
"It's almost the same." The amazon smiled.  
  
"Yes, just without the growls and grunts." Barbara sighed.  
  
Huntress tackled Dinah and both fell on the coach in the living room, laughing. Dinah hid the pop tarts underneath herself, Helena was on her back and began to tickle her.  
  
"That's cheating!" the blonde laughed.  
  
"You are going to break the poptarts! Give me one!"  
  
"Okay... I'll give you one... just get off me!"  
  
As soon as Dinah found herself free, she ran downstairs. She stopped her in her tracks when she found Barbara and Diana in front of her. Helena crashed into her, pushing her.  
  
"Uh..." Dinah muttered, as her mentor and the princess stared at them.  
  
"Having fun?" The red head raised her brow.  
  
"Well...we..." the brunette answered avoiding Diana's look.  
  
"We... were just..." Dinah mumbled, too.  
  
"Be careful you two, I don't want something to break. Well, the princess leaves tomorrow and I would like to have a goodbye dinner for her. So please, don't go anywhere." Barbara looked at Helena. "And before you say no, I invited Reese too. I imagined it would make you happy. He said he would bring the dessert."  
  
"Oh, that... it's great." Huntress answered nervously, feeling she didn't have an excuse to escape from there. Being in front of the princess made her feel uncomfortable. "Great."  
  
"Okay, want to have some coffee with us?"  
  
"No... I... I'll be outside, I need some fresh air. I have been in here all day."  
  
"Wanna the poptart?" Dinah asked her showing her the platic bag.  
  
"No... later."  
  
Diana knew she was still avoiding her. She sighed. Barbara frowned. Dinah watched her go. That was not normal. She waited until Huntress went outside.  
  
"No poptarts? Uh oh..."  
  
"I need to talk to her," the red head said.  
  
"She doesn't know how to deal with everything that happened," the teen said. "It's just that. Well, maybe I'd feel ashamed, if I acted like a big cat all week... a stubborn cat..."  
  
"For that reason, I need to talk with her."  
  
"Barbara." Diana took Barbara's hand. "Let me go. Please."  
  
Barbara looked at her strangely; after a few seconds she understood. And nodded.


	21. The end

Helena looked at the stars. The city was covered with lights from buildings and cars. Thousand of images had been flashing all day in her head. Confusing images. Images that made no sense. The last thing she remembered was that she didn't like the amazon and the fight at the water treatment plant. And now, every time she saw her she felt affection and gratitude....that confused her. It was like she had been nowhere the last days.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Diana's voice surprised her. She had wandered out onto the balcony to find her there, her long form lazing indolently against the low wall, back nestled against the gargoyle.  
  
"Eh?... Nothing, I just feel a bit tired," Helena mumbled avoiding her look. The amazon had a impressive presence. Maybe it was her height, her strong body, her beauty; something about her make Helena feel respect for her at first sight.  
  
"Well, the past few days have been difficult."  
  
"Yes, that's what everybody said."  
  
"I want to thank you, for saving my life." Diana looked for her gaze.  
  
"I need to thank you too." She looked her quickly and immediately turned her face to the city.  
  
"Why?" Diana raised her brown.  
  
"Dinah... Barbara, Alfred told me that you helped me..."  
  
"But it's... because they told you or because... you feel it?" Diana asked, smiling. She understood Helena was hiding herself again.  
  
"Feel?"  
  
"I came here to thank you because I feel it," the amazon explained with a soft voice. "Why are you thanking me? Because Dinah and Barbara told you what happened? Or because you feel it?"  
  
"Princess..."  
  
"Diana."  
  
"Okay, Diana, I don't remember," the brunette said, almost exasperated "Well, yes... I remember a bit, but it's all muddled in my head."  
  
"I remember that I discovered a marvelous girl."  
  
"I acted like a fool, please!" Helena rolled her eyes and stood up. "Don't joke with me!"  
  
"That's not true!" Diana faced her. "You escaped from here to help us, and you really did it! You saved Dinah and later saved my life! The potion couldn't hide your love for the peole that you love and your heroic heart." Diana touched her shoulder. "The connection between you and Barbara impressed me. You followed her all day. You were much stronger than her and even knowing that, you always respected her. You could have easily killed her when she fell in that hole at the zoo to help you; and you didn't. You tried to protect her from me because you thought I was dangerous. You say you acted stupidly, that's not true. We saw the best of you."  
  
Helena was embarrassed. She didn't like people to talk about her.  
  
"Barbara was desperately trying understand you, trying to communicate with you. It frustrated her that she couldn't do it. I saw her so many times just sitting with you... She loves you so much, maybe more than you can imagine." Diana smiled. "You must feel grateful for her."  
  
Helena locked her eyes on Diana's for the first time. "I am, I really am..."  
  
"I know it, I saw it."  
  
Helena shook her head. "Sorry, Diana; I know sometimes I'm a bit rude but... well, I'm that way and... about the last days, I don't know what happened..." Diana's voice confused her, it had something; it was kind, soft, her tone was familiar. The brunette struggled to place it.  
  
Diana took her magic lasso and began to play with it. "What do you remember?"  
  
"I felt scared... alone... I needed to run away..." Helena tried to order all her thoughts. She sat on the balcony. "And later... I remember being here... and it's all confusing..."  
  
"What else?"  
  
"Just images, but I can't connect it, it's all so blurry."  
  
"Are you afraid to remember?"  
  
"Of course not... why would I be...?"  
  
"Because maybe you feel afraid to accept what do you feel." Diana gave her the lasso, in her fingers she was holding a knot that Diana had made.  
  
Helena looked it strange. "What the...?" Suddenly she took it and slowly began to play with it until she undid it. When she finished, she looked at the rope in silence a few seconds and raised her eyes to the princess. She blinked. Now it was clear. "You...?"  
  
"I was just trying to understand you. And be sure of this: it was easier to be your friend in then than now." She smiled.  
  
"I was angry...mad at Barbara... and I felt sad... and alone." Helena moved her hands nervously. "It's confusing..."  
  
"What else?"  
  
Helena looked at her "We... were in my room, You made me feel... loved. Barbara walked in later..." Helena mumbled looking at the lasso. "She taught me to undo the knot... for that reason I knew how undo it at the..."  
  
She looked the princess, who smiled at her with the most beautiful smile that she ever had seen.  
  
"You made me feel better," she added "safe, many times..." She remembered her look, now most clearly. She remembered her talking to her long time; watching the stars in that same place. Teaching her simple things. "Thanks..." Helena said to her.  
  
Diana loved to hear those words; she knew it came from her heart. She took her chin and raised her head. She looked at her in silence a few seconds. "You are like him."  
  
"I'm not like him!" the brunette said angrily. She walked to the other side of the balcony hugging her arms.  
  
"But you are," Diana said to her gently. "You have his inner strength; his determination and stubbornness; you have his love for this life; for this city. I fought with him so many times..." She walked toward the girl. "He was very smart, a good man; he saved many lives including mine. Sometimes we talked too; I didn't approve of some of his methods and he didn't approve of some of mine."  
  
Diana observed Helena; she was watching in silence the lights of the city down below her. She wasn't answering, but she wasn't saying anything to discourage the topic, either. It encouraged her to push a bit more.  
  
"He said I was very patient; he usually wanted to trap criminals. He often used the fear of Batman and the night to scare the villains. It was effective; many stopped their criminal activities for fear of the king of the night. The legends about him scared them. It was a fear that made hearts stop and blood freeze. I was against it. He was hard, implacable, impassive. You never saw him smile; his face was hard, never did her show emotion or feeling. It sometimes disgusted me. You could talk with him and you didn't know what he was thinking; if he felt comfortable with you, if he hated you; you couldn't read his eyes. You only could see his inexpressive face. That disconcerted me." Diana stood up next to Helena looking down at the city too "In my home, people like to express their feelings, you can read in their eyes and faces how they feel. Being with him was like being in front of a brick wall. He never let anyone see inside him."  
  
The silence filled the place. A cold, soft breeze moved the hair off her face.  
  
"But you were friends, very good friends." Helena suddenly said.  
  
"Yes," Diana was happy to hear the brunette speak to her. "It was not easy, he didn't trust anyone. Our first meet finished in a big fight, if Superman hadn't been there surely we would have never stopped hitting each other."  
  
"What happened?" Helena asked curiously. Her eyes were lost in the city.  
  
"A mysterious girl named "Diana" and members of the Purge were making a weapons deal with several men. She was able to knock the Dark Knight to the ground. When he regained his composure, she had already escaped."  
  
"He trapped a guy and he was holding him over a ledge on the roof of the warehouse demanding to know where Ra's Al Ghul was hiding" Dinana remembered "The man said that he would never betray "the almighty demon". I arrived in that moment with Superman. I quickly got into an argument with Batman over his methods of interrogation, while Superman tried to calm us. He was very rude; it disgusted me to see how he mistreated people. The fact that they were thieves wasn't a excuse to hit them so roughly."  
  
"Well, I also think that they don't deserve much respect." Helena was surprised to discover that she thought in the same way.  
  
"There are limits. I forced the thug to tell the truth with my lasso. But when he broke the man's jaw I almost hit him. Superman stopped me. You father was angry and defensive saying he was used to working alone..." Diana looked at Helena and raised her brow "Sound familiar?" (Trinity series)  
  
Helena smiled lightly and looked at her. "Yes... so, he was difficult."  
  
"As you... I confronted Ra's Al Gul's later, I got him, but suddenly he sent one of his thugs against me, Bizarro. I tried to fight, but, even with my quickness and strength, I was hardly able to budge him. I tied my unbreakable lasso around him, but amazingly he snapped it with ease. He really gave me a hard beating. I remember that I just tried to avoid his blows and protect myself but it was hard try to think, I thought for a moment that I was going to pass out; he was very strong and I couldn't fight anymore... he was going to kill me when he appeared. Batman. He jumped out of the shadows and hit him with a solar laser to the eyes. He saved me then, as you did it now..."

"A kind of legacy...?" the brunette laughed.  
  
Diana laughed too. "Oh, I think so... "  
  
"How could you be friends if he thought differently from you?"  
  
"We usually had disagreements and fights, but we learned to respect each other. I think that the murder of his parents is a shadow that follows him always. It marked him forever. We began to trust in each other and we spent many hours talking about our life and problems." Diana turned her head to look at the girl. "He talked about your mom so much. He was in love with her. It was the first time that I saw him really happy. I don't know why they broke apart and I don't know her reasons for hiding your birth from him. I only can tell you that she was the only woman that he really loved."  
  
"That doesn't matter to me." The brunette lowered her head.  
  
"The fact that he is your father is something that you can't avoid." Diana said with a soft voice.  
  
"I didn't ask for that." Helena grumbled almost defensively.  
  
"The fact that you deny it, doesn't change things. You have his heart; It's part of you and you must learn to live with it. You have your own personality, but his shadow is always with you, your whole world had been built around him. He is your father, he loved your mother. The extraordinary woman that took care of you was his protégé and many things that she knows, He taught her it and she taught it to you."  
  
Helena took a deep breath. She was right. And maybe knowing that she was right, annoyed her more. "You don't understand..." she mumbled.  
  
"We can't be judges of our parents. They are not perfect, neither are we. Hating or being resentful against them doesn't change the facts. You have so much rage inside you. Your soul is so beautiful, maybe you can't see it but many people like Barbara, Alfred, Reese, Dinah and I could see it; don't destroy it with those feelings. We love you."  
  
Helena kept silent without moving. There was a great sadness inside her. She wanted to change many things but she knew it was impossible.  
  
They stood in silence for long minutes.  
  
"We flew?" Helena broke the silence.  
  
"Yes, very high." Diana smiled at her, understanding that she was trying to break the tension.  
  
"I thought for a while it was a dream."  
  
"Want to do it again?"  
  
The brunette laughed and shook her head. "Don't joke with me."  
  
Diana showed her hand to her. "Let's go, a fast one before dinner. Circe interrupted our last ride."  
  
Helena hesitated. "I..."  
  
"Hey, I'm not wearing a swim suit now, I'm dressed as a civilian, so you won't feel embarrassed by me." Diana saw her eyes, they were like small lights; her smile open and friendly; Diana knew the girl finally had opened her heart to her.  
  
Helena took her hand and looked at it; she felt the same comfort that she had given her when she had felt lost. She could remember it all clearly now. The amazon had a special charm; Barbara had told her many times that Diana was an exceptional human being that filled hearts with her presence and made people remain calm in the middle of a storm.  
  
"Do you know?" Helena said. "You are the closest to a God that I have ever been."  
  
"I was once... but it's much better living and helping people to live in peace." Diana took her waist and Helena passed her arm behind her back. "Ready?"  
  
Helena looked down. "I'm not sure now..."  
  
The amazon jumped and flew into the sky. Helena marveled at the city under her feet. "WOW!!" she exclaimed. "This is great!"  
  
"I told you..."  
  
"Can I apologize for the "Hot" thing?"  
  
"That was funny..."  
  
"I'm feel really embarrassed about that."  
  
"If I had a boyfriend like yours, I'd be... 'hot' too." The amazon smiled, watching the girl's face.  
  
"He is cute." Helena noted.  
  
"Very cute."  
  
They disappeared in the black sky of the night.

* * *

**_I finally could connect with Helena. It was a nice and lovely night. The dinner was so funny remembering Helena's antics. We laughed all night. It helped Helena to clear her ideas. She started to fit some pieces in her mind and laughed too. Of course we hid some topics; like Dinah cheating or mocking her. It would not be good for Oracle's youngest charge for her partner to know all the details.  
  
But I'm sure inside... that Helena remembered everything very well..._**

* * *

Dinah was preparing to sleep. She cleaned her face with a cream and closed her eyes to clean her eyelids; when she finished she opened her eyes and saw Helena leaning against the frame of the door looking at her and humming the Hakuna Matata song.  
  
"Hey," the blonde greeted.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"What happened?" Dinah asked "I thought you had gone to your apartment."  
  
"I came here to talk." The brunette closed the door behind her and walked toward her hands inside her pockets.  
  
"Talk?" Dinah turned and frowned.  
  
"Talk."  
  
Dinah looked at her watch. Two Am. "It's late, what do you want to talk about now?"  
  
Helena smirked and leaned over her. Her face a few inches away from Dinah. "Poptarts and marbles... that and other topics."  
  
Dinah gulped. "Pop... tarts?"  
  
Helena winked nodding; that strange smile was still on her face. "And waffles too...."  
  
Dinah knew she was in big trouble and moved down Helena's arm to stand up to her side. "Well... I... Helena... I was just joking." Her partner had remembered everything.  
  
"Joking? Oh.... I see..."  
  
"Yes, all that was a game." Dinah stepped back. "We were playing, remember?"  
  
Helena raised her eyes a few seconds thinking after looking at her "Sure... a "hairball attack.""  
  
Dinah was in a panic she stepped back again. "Hey Hel, it was just joke..."  
  
"I understand." The brunette smirked walking toward her.

* * *

Barbara turned off the equipment and prepared to go to sleep after a long and fun night. Reese had come too. Helena and Diana seemed to have developed a very good friendship and she felt very happy for that. It had been a nice dinner remembering the anecdotes about Helena and she was charming when she blushed. By the end, she was laughing as loud as everyone else.  
  
A hand suddenly was in front of her holding the golden lasso with a knot on it.  
  
Barbara smiled and took it. Helena remembered that night. Her protégé sat on the desk watching her. After a few seconds, Barbara undid the knot and gave the lasso to Helena, who examined it.  
  
"Not too bad... 25 seconds. It took me just 20." The brunette said.  
  
"Well you had more time to practice than I." Barbara winked at her. "Diana...?"  
  
"Point for you."  
  
"Well, finally you learned how to do it. That knot is one of the most difficult."  
  
Huntress laughed. "Yes.. and was very useful, you have no idea. Now I'm going to give her back her lasso."  
  
"Are you going to your place?" Barbara turned off the monitors.  
  
"No, I'll stay here to say bye to Diana tomorrow, early, before she leaves."  
  
"Not in my room." Barbara wheeled toward her room. "Sleep with Dinah."  
  
"Dinah is going to sleep late. She is busy now cleaning her bathroom." Helena followed her.  
  
"Cleaning her bathroom?? At 3 am? Why?"  
  
"She took a bath and the bath overflowed."  
  
Babara knew something was wrong. "And how the bath overflow?"  
  
"She forgot to turn off the water while she tried to dry her clothes."  
  
"Helena..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What did you do to her?"  
  
"Just what she asked." The brunette said with an innocent voice.  
  
"Dare I ask?" Barbara glared at her.  
  
"I gave her a choice between a cold bath or a good ass kicking. And she chose the cold bath."  
  
"Why??"  
  
"Maybe you have a bad memory but cats don't." She smirked.  
  
Barbara rolled her eyes. "You two are kids."  
  
"Can I sleep with you tonight?"  
  
"No. You can sleep on the couch tonight."  
  
"I don't like the couch, hurts my back."  
  
"Nah."  
  
Helena held her wrist with her hand. "But my hand and wrist hurt..."  
  
Barbara took her hand "Let me see..." After a few seconds, she realized it was her hand that had been hurt. She raised her head and found Helena looking at her with puppy eyes. "Oh no!" the red head said pushing her hand to the side, gently. "That won't work now."  
  
"What won't work?"  
  
"You are not going to blackmail me with that." Barbara pointed to her and wheeled toward her room.  
  
"I'm not purring anymore," Helena said.  
  
"But you kick and snore." Barbara moved through the hallway.  
  
"I don't snore."  
  
"Yes, you snore." The red head moved her head.  
  
"Barbara, please!" the girl pleaded.  
  
"And you and I need talk later about some scratches in my wood floor."  
  
"What scratches?"  
  
Alfred smiled from the upper floor and turned off the lights in the ClockTower. He needed some sleep too.

* * *

I**_ left the Clocktower the next morning. They are a nice family; I learned so much from this experience. They taught me how marvelous and how strong friendship could be, that sometimes it crosses the line of the reason. I learned that our best friends, our really best ones, will always be there, no matter how far we are; no matter if we don't talk often. They will always receive us with a smile.  
  
The true friends that have a place in my heart are like small golden coins; never lose their value and every time that I touch them, they turned brighter.  
  
I admire even more now the strength of Barbara, her determination, her courage to help others; I knew the nobility of Dinah, her clean and big soul; I knew the loyalty and incredible courage of Helena, how she had survived herself, her pain.  
  
I just have one heart, and in it I must keep all my memories and feelings, but if I could have more hearts, I'd give one to each of those women and still all my gratitude couldn't be kept inside them.  
  
They are the birds of prey, they are birds of heart._**


End file.
